As the world watches North Korea to see what will unfold next following the death of its “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il, one thing is for certain: The country’s next ruler won’t be Jong-il’s second son, Kim Jong-chul, who the Dear Leader reportedly often boozily bemoaned was too effeminate to lead.
Like most things North Korean, Jong-chul is shrouded in mystery, but it is known that he’s the 30-year-old son of Jong-il and the late despot’s former consort Ko Young-hee.
He was educated in Switzerland and really really likes Eric Clapton: Earlier this year, Jong-chul was spotted at an Clapton concert in Singapore. In 2006 he attended several Clapton dates in Germany, then asked the rocker to perform in Pyongyang. (Clapton’s not exactly Elton or Mariah, so we’re not sure how that factors in determining his sexuality.)
For a few years early last decade, after it became clear that Dear Leader’s oldest son was way too much of a boob to ever take a leadership role, Jong-chul seemed the heir apparent—especially after the North Korean military started referring to Jong-chul’s mother as “The Respected Mother who is the Most Faithful and Loyal ‘Subject’ to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander.”
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But Jong-chul’s role as successor started to unravel in 2003, when a former family sushi chef, using the pen-name Kenji Fujimoto, published a tell-all book in which he called Jong-chul useless because he was “like a girl.” In 2009, it was widely announced that son #3, Kim Jong-un, 28, would now be North Korea’s Next Top Dictator.
Were Jong-chul to magically rise to power, it wouldn’t be the first time Korea was (maybe) gay-led. 14th century ruler Gongmin of Goryeo—interestingly, also a second son—was so notoriously boy-crazy that a 2008 South Korean film, A Frozen Flower, depicted a fictionalized account of the king’s romance with military commander Hong Lim.
Image via Korea Times
Wow
How about Kim-Dong-Chew?
B
Kim Jong-chul is cute. He probably doesn’t take after his father (unless, of course, Kim Jong-il’s consort had a boyfriend on the side that nobody was talking about upon penalty of death).
shannon
THERE IS NOTHING……NOTHING…..—NOTHING—-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CUTE ABOUT THIS GUY! HE LOOKS CROSS EYED FOR ONE..
B
No. 3 · shannon – he doesn’t look cross eyed. He seems to be looking to the side
(probably at a second photographer hounding him).
Besides, you didn’t get the joke. Read No 2 a bit more. Also, try to learn how to use the caps key properly.
CBRad
They should consider him. Gays have been great tyrants as far back as Nero.
Pete n SFO
There are 3 sons, the likely gay boy, the one that tried to flee to Japan, and by default… the one that will become the latest despot.
The new leader was briefly educated outside Korea, but is also the one that is thought to have blown up the South Korean ships & village last year to show the military he’s got balls.
CBS showed an evening satellite image & the whole country is in darkness.
Jess
I have to question if that’s the real reason. Kim Jung Un has beed named sucessor for a long time now. Plus, from the FAQ on north koreas website, here is the stance on gay people: ” As a country that has embraced science and rationalism, the DPRK recognizes that many individuals are born with homosexuality as a genetic trait and treats them with due respect.”
Jeff
Jess that’s nice in theory but I doubt that North Korea is that hospitable to LGBT people, they probably throw them into prison camps like they do with anyone and their relatives (siblings, parents, grandparents, and even cousins) who dares to complain even to a friend about the government, how there is no food, and other things. North Korea can pretend all it wants to that it’s a good place and tolerant of LGBT people but it’s not even a good place for heterosexual North Koreans to live.
B
No. 8 · Jeff wrote, “Jess that’s nice in theory but I doubt that North Korea is that hospitable to LGBT people.”
Why not? Being gay is not a threat to the regime, plus they get a propaganda bonus by being more enlightened in one area than many other countries, which gives them something to point to in order to draw attention away from all the abuses.
Jenny
He’s over-weight, but he’s not ugly. He could be “cute” when he drops 20 pounds. Pictures of him and son #3 as teenagers in Swiss school actually show two good-looking slim boys. I wonder if being over-weight is a Kim family protocol.