North Korea's Kim Jong-un Has an Elder Son but Avoids Public Disclosure Due to His Thin Appearance

There have been reports that North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has an eldest son, but he has not been shown to the public due to his small stature.

On the 23rd (local time), the British media outlet Daily Mail reported this, citing former National Intelligence Service agent Mr. Choi.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un attended the 75th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Korean People's Army with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on February 8 last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Mr. Choi, quoting North Korean sources, claimed, "The eldest son's appearance is not physically attractive, so Chairman Kim does not reveal his son to the public." The reason given is that his thin physique could remind North Korean residents of the famine in the 1990s.

Mr. Choi said, "Unlike the plump and well-nourished father and younger sister, (Kim Jong-un's) eldest son is said to be pale and thin," adding, "It is known that the son does not resemble his great-grandfather Kim Il-sung at all."

The Daily Mail reported that it is essential for North Korean leaders to resemble Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong-un also imitates his great-grandfather to emphasize his legitimacy.

Michael Madden, a visiting researcher and North Korea expert at the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, made a similar claim. He said, "Kim Jong-un also had a thin physique during his time as a successor but had to gain weight to appear like Kim Il-sung in front of North Korea's elderly generals and leadership to establish authority."

The National Intelligence Service reports that Kim Jong-un has three children: the eldest son, Ju-ae, and a youngest child whose gender is unknown. However, Mr. Choi claimed that Kim Jong-un has two legitimate children, the eldest son and Ju-ae, and two more illegitimate children whose genders are unknown.

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