Who
is North Korea's secretive Kim Jong-Un?
Here
is an article by By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News that shares some facts.
North
Korean media calls Kim Jong Un "the greatest-ever commander." Dennis
Rodman says he is "a normal guy."
Neither
description seems fitting, but little is known about the third-generation
leader now locked in a showdown with the U.S. and South Korea that some fear
could lead to war.
Before
Kim took over from his father, Kim Jong Il, he had barely been seen in public.
And even though he's been in charge for more than a year, there's been only a
trickle of information about his personality and habits.
The
most recent details about the man threatening to send missiles to the U.S. come
from Rodman, who made a trip to Pyongyang earlier this year. Here are some
tidbits about Kim that have emerged outside the North Korean propaganda
machine:
He
shares a birthday with Elvis Presley ... maybe: Kim has been reported to
be somewhere between 29 and 30 years old. But Kenji Fujimoto, a sushi chef who
worked for his family until 2001 and later wrote a tell-all, claims he was born
Jan. 8, 1983 — the same date as The King.
He
has a first lady: North Korean media revealed Kim was married last July
when it announced his fashionable female companion at the opening of an
amusement park was his wife, Ri Sol-ju. No one is certain when they tied the
knot or whether they have children. South Korean media say she's a former cheerleader
and singer.
He
was educated in the West: Kim attended a state school in Switzerland
from 1998 to 2000, posing as a diplomat's son named Pak Un, according to the
Washington Post. "I never saw his father or mother," Principal Peter
Burri told the paper. Another official described him as "well-integrated,
diligent, ambitious." Kim reportedly later attended the Kim Il Sung
Military University in Pyongyang, named after his grandfather.
He's
crazy about basketball: He idolized Michael Jordan and was no slouch
on the court himself. One high-school buddy described him as
"explosive" and a "playmaker." Another said he was fiercely
competitive: "He hated to lose."
He's
brand-conscious: Teenage buddies recalled he had a collection of expensive
Nike sneakers. A recent photo of him plotting military action against the U.S.
showed an Apple iMac computer on his desk. His wife supposedly carries a Dior
clutch, though some think it's a knock-off.
His
hairstyle is unsanctioned: North Korea reportedly has 28
"recommended" hairstyles for its people. Kim's 'do — shaved on the
sides, floppy on top — is not among them, according to a Hong Kong TV network
that obtained photos of the approved looks.
He's
a song-and-dance man: High-school classmates told London's Daily
Telegraph his favorite song was "Brother Louie" by the German pop duo
Modern Talking. Rodman told London's Sun that Kim digs 1980s disco. "There
was an all-girl band playing and we were definitely getting down," Rodman
said of their visit.
He's
a heavyweight: South
Korea's Yonhap news agency has reported that after the 2004 death of his mother
from cancer, Kim went on a drinking and eating binge, ballooning to almost 200
pounds. He remains plump in a country ravaged by famine and suffers from
diabetes and hypertension.
He's
a chip off the old block: Kim looks so much like his grandfather,
national founder Kim Il Sung, that North Korea's official news agency had to
deny rumors he had gone under the knife. Analysts say he hoped to model himself
on his grandfather, who was more liked by his people than Kim's much-feared
father.
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