Kim Jong-un is the current ruler of North Korea and the chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea. He is the third son of Kim Jong-il, the former leader of North Korea. Kim Jong-un officially took power in December 2011 after the sudden death of his father. Since then, he has been internationally criticised for his authoritarian leadership, human rights violations and the North Korean nuclear programme.
Discover our latest podcast
News from South Korea
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Kim Jong-un has a son, but he is being hidden from the public due to his 'pale and thin' appearance, or so the newspaper claims. This surprising revelation is understood to be coming from a former spy chief, believed to be called Choe Su-yong. According to the tabloid, Su-yong is a retired official from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in South Korea.
Citing North Korean sources, Choe claimed that the leadership of the country does not want to present Kim's unattractive son to the public. While Kim Jong-un and his daughter are described as plump and well-fed, Kim's son is said to be the exact opposite, according to Choe.
Being chubby stands for authority
According to the Daily Mail, Choe mentioned that this secret son's appearance does not resemble the chubby appearance of his great-grandfather Kim Il-sung, which is considered an important quality for leaders in North Korea to convey their legitimacy. In North Korea, it is traditionally believed that being fat exudes authority. This idea goes back to Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, who was portrayed as such.
It is speculated that Kim's well-fed daughter Kim Ju-ae made her first public appearance in late 2022, while no photos of Kim's slimmer son are known. Kim Jong-un himself used to be thin and was encouraged to put on weight in order to exude leadership quality.
However, according to the Frankfurter Rundschau, his weight is also causing some concern. According to a report in the newspaper, the South Korean secret service reports that the dictator's health is not good - too much alcohol and cigarettes could be the reason.
Kim Jong-un and the estimated number of his children
Kim Jong-un is believed to have three children - a son, followed by Kim Ju-ae and another child of undetermined gender. While Choe believes the eldest is a son, according to the Daily Mail, he also suspects that the dictator has only two legitimate children. The question remains as to which one will ultimately take power.
There is a possibility that Kim's daughter Kim Ju-ae could be considered as a potential heir despite North Korea's tradition of not having female leaders.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
Read more:
⋙ Kim Jong-un: North Korean dictator is allegedly addicted to Swiss cheese
⋙ Kim Jong-un: The death of his brother might be North Korea's most perfectly executed murder
⋙ Kim Jong-un: The North Korean leader prepares ‘to fight a war’ with his daughter in tow
Sources used:
Frankfurter Rundschau: Abhängig von Zigaretten und Alkohol: Kim Jong-un leidet unter schlechter Gesundheit
Daily Mail: Kim Jong Un 'has a secret SON who is kept out of the public eye because he is too pale and thin'
