Aug. 30 – Is this the face of Kim Jong-un, the son of Kim Jong-il whose visits to China were apparently to gain acceptance for his son as the new leader of North Korea? The identity of the smiling man in the photo, courtesy of Getty Images, remains unverified, but strong suggestions are that this indeed is the man who is to be the successor of the world’s only Marxist dynasty, and the man with the key to potential Korean unification in his pocket.
Little is known about Kim Jong-un other than he was born in 1982, and is Kim Jong-il’s third and youngest son. Kim Jong-il’s first two sons have apparently fallen out of favor, with a variety of embarrassing faux pas being committed at various times, including being caught in Japan on false passports and being photographed with several Louis Vuitton bags while shopping. Kim Jong-un, known officially as “The Brilliant Comrade” in North Korea, was born to Kim and his wife, Ko Young-hee, who is said to have died of breast cancer in 2004.
Kim Jong-un reportedly attended the English-language International School of Bern in Bern, Switzerland, until 1998 under a pseudonym, although this is disputed. It has been said that he also enjoys skiing and basketball and is a fan of Michael Jordan and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Sounds like a normal young man of 28, except that he is expected to take over one of the world’s strangest countries. How far exposure to Western culture will have influenced him remains to be seen, as does the issue over succession.
Recent events suggest North Korea may be moving towards a change in leadership, and if so, it is in China’s interests to make that as orderly as possible. The future of the man in the photo seems anything but assured.
