“They Live” is on TV right now, but I’ll take a moment to note that Kim Jong-il has apparently chosen his successor — 26-year-old Kim Jong-un:
North Korea’s ailing leader has chosen his youngest son — who is just 26, attended a Swiss boarding school and reportedly admires basketball great Michael Jordan — as heir to the family dynasty that rules the secretive state, South Korea’s intelligence service told lawmakers in Seoul.
Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong Il, the “Dear Leader” who suffered a stroke last summer and who has since appeared thin and frail. He is the grandson of the late Kim Il Sung, the “Great Leader” and founding dictator of North Korea.
If Kim Jong Un does become the new leader — and there are analysts who doubt the decision is final — this second consecutive father-to-son handoff would be unique among nations that call themselves communist. There was no indication, however, that Kim Jong Il would be handing over power any time soon.
I’m just bummed Kim Jong-nam didn’t get the job, although then again, he sort of purged himself.
As the BBC notes, nobody really knows anything about him. In fact, only one photo of the kid is known to exist, taken when he was 11. Don’t look for info in the Korean press, either — they’re quoting Kim Jong-il’s former sushi chef like everyone else.
I did learn from the Kookmin Ilbo, however, that Jong-un is apparently a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme. That can’t be good for world peace.
Anyway, it’s back to “They Live.” I had no idea Rowdy Roddy Piper was from Canada…
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I predict now — the new guy will not last long, regardless of who helps him.
i thought he was maimed in a motorcycle mishap.
fuck the Kim Dynasty.
Recent Kim’s of South Korean executive office.
1/ Kim Yongsam
2/ Kim Daejung
Could we have done without them? Hell yeah.
Diabeetus
For 종은, I’m sure he’s gotten his fair amount of indoctrination, but I’m wondering how his Swiss education might impact his future leadership style. KJI, for his part, was educated in either Korea or China , depending on what version of the story you want to believe.
But I guess now with 종남 out of the running, my life-long goal of going to Disney World 평양 are now gone. 흑흑 ㅠ.ㅠ
I did learn from the Kookmin Ilbo, however, that Jong-un is apparently a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme.
This is one of the requirements for steering the helm at the DRPK: a shitty taste in bad movies.
t-song, have you ever been to Disney World? Or better yet, have you ever worked as an employee for Disney World?
“Disney World” is a totalitarian entity all unto itself.
I’ve been to Orlando and had friends intern/work there as well. I also learned from the Simpsons DVD commentary that the Three Little Pigs are routinely sucker punched by children who get applauded by their parents.
But DW’s pure evil did not slip by me one bit.
Jordan doesn’t like Korean barbecue.
Well maybe MJ23 doesn’t like kalbi, but another MJ loves 비빔밥 ㅋㅋㅋ
This is big news and all, but we really don’t know how imminent the demise of KJI is, do we? Dude could be dead as we speak, or he could live for another twenty years.
Neither scenario pleases me, actually. In the former case, we get a twenty-four year old kid taking the reins of an absolute monarchy. In the other, we take same kid out of Switzerland and make him live in North Korea for twenty years, shadowing his father and learning whatever fucked-up wisdom prevails up there.
In either case, I’m not too optimistic about the end result. Maybe one of the hard-liner generals will arrange an “accident.”
Here’s a Baduk inspired comment for you:
There’s only one known picture of him because he doesn’t exist, he’s a fictional character created by the opposing faction to Kim Jong Il in North Korea, possibly one backed by the Chinese. Once they, North Korean propagandists, figure out how to use Photoshop properly, we’ll start seeing more pictures.
You didn’t know Roddy Piper is Canadian? With that accent of his, I sure hope you didn’t think he was a Scot (it’s clearly a Western Canadian accent).
I’ll take you one step further. He’s actually the real No Mu-Hyun (not the fake that was cremated), surgically altered to look younger. And pudgier.
t_sojng;
Although usually spelled “Jong” or “Chong,” it’s that’s “김정운” and “김정남.” Same for their pa.
I remember watching Piper when I was a kid – he was a star in the then small time world of regional wrestling. At that time he always wore a kilt – not sure what clan. They Live is a classic; it was his one time big shot at becoming a movie star.
Why is there only one photo of this kid – I don’t understand. If has been going to this Swiss boarding school all of those years (anyone know where he went to college?) I’m surprised that there isn’t at least one shot of him as an adult.
Haha, well I can never go to K to E or vice versa. But did my Korean misspelling prompt your misspelling of my name?
No, it was the booze.
Japan’s asahi TV gives us the first glimpse of the mini-me of KJI as an adult
http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20090610500008
It says KJI particularly liked him because he was a 붕어빵, an exact replica (word means ‘fish bread’ – one of those street snacks – red-bean-paste-filled, fish-shaped pastry.. word is used when describing a striking resemblance between a parent and a offspring because the bread mould keeps reproducing the same shape exactly)
WJK can go to town and do his thing..
Well, in a space of less than an hour, the internet has now said that photo which also was on the main frame of Naver is shown to be a hoax, that TV Asahi has fallen for.
http://www.donga.com/fbin/output?n=200906100424&top20=1
I thought he looked too old to be a twenty something.. He was a pseudo 붕어빵..
a space -> the space
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