North Korea: Like father, like Sung?

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 10:25 AM Share

Looking at this propaganda leaflet from the Korean War (telling North Koreans their leaders were living well while they starved) at how much the young Kim Il Sung looked like his grandson, Kim Jong Un, the new kid on the communist monarchy's block. Except grandpa's eyes were much harder.

Meanwhile, today is Kim Jong Il's birthday.

National Museum

EXPLORE:SOUTHEAST ASIA, NORTH KOREA
 

DILNIR

4:28 PM ET

February 16, 2012

Leaflet

I'm going to assume that the leaflet in question was not produced in North Korea. Grandpa's eyes may be harder (difficult to say this from the photography) but let's face it, he lived in harder times. Being a Red leader at the time wasn't what you'd call a carefree, peachy existence. Whereas the Young Un, so to speak, has been pampered all his short life.

 

TYRTAIOS

6:02 PM ET

February 16, 2012

Nice. . .I like the slicked-back hair-do

Looking over various other pictures of the departed Great Leader, Kim il-Sung and comparing them to his grand kid, Kim Jong-un, one can pick out close similarities, such as the jowls, double chin, and the downward angle at the corners of their collective choco pie holes.

My bet is that since Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong was il, and probably on medications along with exotic far eastern high colonics, this not only kept his weight down, but took away the constipated look that Jong-un displays, just as his grand daddy displayed before him also, and that accounts for the disparity between the clan?

Incidentally, I like the slicked-back hair-do look. The kid's old man always looked like he combed his hair with an egg beater. . .not much to hang on a lodge pole.

 

KAYKURI

7:06 PM ET

February 16, 2012

You are truly a man of the world, TYRTAIOS...

Kudos on the Choco pie reference. Now I'm hungry.

 

JUPITER

12:28 AM ET

February 17, 2012

The more things change everywhere else

The more they stay the same in North Korea

 

BERTRAMDICKSON

6:24 AM ET

March 15, 2012

My bet is that since Kim

My bet is that since Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong was il, and probably on medications along with exotic far eastern high colonic, this not only kept his weight down, but took away the constipated look that Jong-un displays, just as his grand daddy displayed homerenovation before him also, and that accounts for the disparity between the clan?

 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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