The Future Leader of North Korea.
What little is known about Kim Jong-Un points to the idea that he is the probable heir to his father. According to a BBC News article "Profile: Kim Jong-un," he is the youngest of Kim Jong-Il's children by his late third wife. Born in either 1983 or 1984, Jong-Un is said to have always been the favorite of his father, even donning the nick name "Morning Star King" as given by his mother (BBC). In a NewYorkTimes.com article simply called "Kim Jong-un," authors Choe Sang-Hun and Martin Fackler state he was "...known as 'prince' amoung his father's aides." Thus one can see how this has had a long time coming. It can also be seen here how he has had a life similar to his father's, simply waiting in the shadows until being called upon to be a successor. His life too has been one of utopia, as he has never had to endure hardships like most of North Korea's population. Because the people serve the government, and his life is a utopia, it is clear that the country is dystopian as the few control the many, while the many starve.
What still remains in great speculation is where Jong-Un received his education. The article by BBC says that he is Swiss Educated, but the article by NewYorkTimes.com says that it cannot confirm nor deny him receiving any European education (Profile; Sang-Hun and Fackler). This lack of information could also be pointed out as another dystopian aspect of North Korea's society, given that the foreign world knows very little about him and only speculation exists about how much the population of North Korea actually know about him. Conversely though, the article does go on to say that he did receive training at the Kim Il-Sung Military University from 2002 to 2007 (Sang-Hun and Fackler). This then would seem likely if his father was grooming him to take his place. The NeyYorkTimes.com article also states that before Kim Jong-Il's stroke in 2008, Jong-Un did not hold any major offices, thus meaning he was a long time away from being ready to take over (Sang-Hun and Fackler).
Recently, however, it seems as if he is gaining positions rapidly. According to the same article, he made his first public appearance in 2010 to accept the rank of four star general, in addition to being given two high ranking position within the Korean Worker's Party. Then in February of 2011, he was given a senior position on the National Defense Commission, one of North Korea's highest offices due to its militaristic nature (Sang-Hun and Fackler). This, for many speculators, was what solidified any doubts about who would rule next after Kim Jong-Il while keeping the country suppressed.
These are some of the few images of Kim Jong-Un that are currently present. Since little is still known about him, there is much debate over whether or not these pictures are really even him. The only confirmed one is to the left, the one of him when he was eleven.
