KIM Jong Un has a son, but he is too “pale and thin” for North Korean tastes and is kept out of the public eye, a former spymaster says.
The claim was made by Choe Su-yong, a retired National Intelligence Service (NIS) official in neighboring South Korea.
Citing sources in the North, he claimed that the boy’s “unattractive physical appearance appears to have discouraged Kim from exposing his son in public.”
“Unlike his father, or his sister, who is plump and well-nourished, Kim’s son is said to be pale and thin,” he told the Korea Times.
“I heard that his son looks nothing like his great-grandfather, Kim Il-sung.”
The daughter of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un resembles him in weight
The supreme leader was not always great; when he was young, he was actually quite thin
For North Korean leaders, a resemblance to Kim Il-sung – the country’s chubby founder – is seen as an indispensable quality.
The current leader has been accused of playing up his resemblance to Kim Il-sung, his grandfather, in an attempt to bolster his own legitimacy.
And more chubby North Korean leaders may follow – Kim Jong Un’s ‘chubby’ daughter, Kim Ju-ae, came into the public eye in late 2022.
Conversely, no known photos of his “pale and thin” son have yet surfaced. But experts think we can visualize him simply by looking at a younger Kim Jong Un – who was himself thin.
A handful of photos have emerged showing the slender tyrant before it grew to its current size. Michael Madden, founder of North Korea Leadership Watch, said: “When Kim Jong Un was the hereditary successor, he was actually thin.
“Go back and look at those pictures. He was a thinner guy.
‘His father and his aunt told him to gain weight so he could project authority.
“So that when those North Korean elites, especially those old generals, saw this 27/28-year-old man, they would feel physically intimidated by him.”
Mr Madden – a fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington DC – said this preference for plus-sized leaders also had a historical basis.
He said, ‘There are some Korean concepts about how we present ourselves to other people, and there is a certain idea about attractiveness and attractiveness.
It is common knowledge that North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, is quite chubby
‘The definition of what is considered attractive and pleasant will be very different from what we would see in the West.
“When we see Kim Jong-un, when we see his father, we see his grandfather, right? Chubby cheeks, right? Rosie chubby cheeks, smile on face.
“Being thin and frugal will remind the North Korean people that nearly a million people starved to death in the late 1990s.”
NOS believes Kim Jong Un has three children – the son is the eldest, followed by Kim Ju-ae, and then a child of unknown gender.
Choe agrees that the eldest is a son, but believes the dictator has only two legitimate children – this unnamed son and Kim Ju-ae – plus two illegitimate children.
For Mr Madden, the question of which child will ultimately come to power is still unanswered.
He highlighted the example of Kim Jong Un, who experienced tremendous growth before claiming the top job.
He said: ‘That’s what would happen to a pale and thin Kim child: he’s told to gain weight and get some sunshine.
“It worked for the current leader.” Conversely, North Korea has the practice of handing over the firstborn and giving leadership to a younger brother or sister.
Kim Jong-un was chosen over his big brother, Kim Jong-chul, who, according to his father, “was no good because he is like a little girl.”
A heavy rider – the buxom supreme leader is said to weigh around 22 stone
And although North Korea has never had a female leader, Madden thinks this should not necessarily be an obstacle for Kim Ju-ae.
He said, “If Kim Jong Un decides that his daughter will be the hereditary successor… last time I checked, North Korea is a dictatorship.
“So when the leader says ‘go,’ we go, right? “Good luck standing up and resisting it when that happens.”