Page 66 - All About History 55 - 2017 UK

The House of Kim

It was never intended, at least not by Kim Jong-il,
While the general population struggles to survive, the North Korean that his youngest son, Jong-un, would ever rule
leaders indulge on Western luxuries the DPRK. From the late 1990s, the Dear Leader
determined that his eldest Jong-nam, regardless
of being born out of wedlock, should continue
the Kim dynasty and control North Korea
some day. But that decision was taken without
a year in Cognac considering Jong-nam’s suitability or what Jong-
il’s wife thought of his mistress’ child taking the
Kim Jong-il was a legendary consumer of Hennessy leadership from her own sons. What happened
Paradis Cognac and the brand’s largest private buyer next really does deserve the much-overused
epithet of ‘Shakespearean’.
In 2001, Jong-nam took his son and mistress to
Japan. It was a foolhardy trip — not only is Japan
a sworn enemy of the DPRK, but the man touted
to be the next leader of the world’s most hardline
At least a dozen Harleys communist state was going to visit an icon of
capitalist decadence, Tokyo Disneyland. And all
on fake Dominican Republic passports.
Kim Jong-il, and now reportedly his son, Kim Jong-un, have had a long fascination with Harley
He was caught at the airport by Japanese
Davidson motorbikes, although they can only ride them in their high-security compounds
passport control officials. His father was so
embarrassed that he cancelled a long-planned
trip to the DPRK’s only ally, China. Jong-nam was
officially in disgrace. He had forfeited the role
a 4 Rothmans moving to anonymity in Macao.
of heir to the throne and was cast out into exile,
packs
of
There are those who believe that Jong-il’s wife
and the DPRK’s ‘Supreme Mother’, Young-sook,
day
was behind Jong-nam’s apprehension at Tokyo’s
Narita Airport. She did not want the offspring of
Kim Jong-il reputedly smoked four packs of
a mistress to usurp her eldest son, and so Jong-
imported Rothmans cigarettes a day before publicly
chul became the heir apparent, groomed to be
quitting. His son, though, is a confirmed smoker,
leader, seen at his father’s side and with Young-
but he smokes a more patriotic copycat version of
sook beaming wide.
Rothmans called Paektusan
But something went wrong and Jong-chul
one jet skis lacked the necessary ruthlessness to be a dictator,
was sidelined. Some said his father thought he
others that Young-sook had always seen her
Mercedes Kim Jong-un enjoys jet skiing youngest but most beloved son, Jong-un, as the
As yet, the young leader’s
Kim Jong-un only has one with his close associates. He is personality cult is not fully
personal Merc, but it’s a thought to have at least 20 jet formed, though it seems
he will seek to imitate his
limited edition Mercedes- skis that he rides around one of grandfather rather than
Benz 600 luxury sedan his private artificial lakes father in his look

20,000

white Orlov

trotter horses movies in his library
Kim Jong-il allowed one channel of TV and no foreign films in
Kim Jong-un has nine rare white Orlov trotter his country, yet had a private video library of 20,000 Rambo,
horses procured from a from a stud farm in Siberia James Bond, kung fu and horror movies
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