North Korea on Wednesday filled another gap in the photographic history of leader Fat Boy Kim Jong-un, whom few people had laid eyes on until late in 2010.
The official Rodong Sinmun carried six photos of late leader Kim Jong-il and his son Pudgy Jong-un visiting major military units, one of which was a previously unseen picture from 2009. Kim junior has a less striking hairstyle and is slimmer than now.
| He really was the only person in North Korea who was a size 'XL' back then. Now I think he's an 'LS' (large short). | A Unification Ministry official said, "It seems they were observing an artillery drill on Feb. 12, 2009, considering Kim senior's suit and the ambient backdrop."
| The 'ambient backdrop' in the photo includes a camera and, apparently, a microscope... | The visit took place right after Suet Face Kim junior was designated heir to the throne on Jan. 8 the same year.
Kim junior made his first public appearance with his current look at a party congress on Sept. 28, 2010.
"When Kim Jong-un made his first public appearance, even rumors circulated in the North that he was the reincarnation of nation founder Kim Il-sung," a South Korean security official said. "This shows how hard the regime tried to manipulate his images to make him look more like Kim Il-sung." |