N. Korea Biopic May Signal Kim's Final Act

He was born of heaven, naturally

(NEWSER) - Considering nature basically exploded at the passing of Kim Jong Il—at least, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency—it shouldn't be too shocking to hear that the mythmaking for Kim Jong Un has already begun. The AP reports that a newspaper editorial calls him "born of heaven" (but, bummer, details of that angelic birth, and the legend surrounding it, have yet to be released.) And though he's believed to be 27, it's expected that he will turn 30 in January. More»

Unlike his father, late leader likely to be buried

(NEWSER) - Kim Jong Il is currently lying in state in Pyongyang, but North Koreans may not have much longer to view him: A shortage of skills and cold hard cash means the late Dear Leader will likely be buried instead of being preserved for display like his father, Kim Il Sung, the Guardian finds. More»

Cadets will be told to stop defacing images

(NEWSER) - In North Korea, images of Kim Jong Il and heir apparent are treated as holy icons. In the South, soldiers use them for target practice. Or at least they did until local media showed them doing so. Now Seoul has ordered cadets to stop decorating their rifle ranges with the Kims, in an apparent bid to keep tensions from boiling over again, reports AFP . One military official said troops were merely "boosting battle spirit." More»

In older images, he looked skinny, had different chin

(NEWSER) - Did Kim Jong Un, the son and anointed successor of Kim Jong Il, have plastic surgery to look like his grandfather? That’s what South Korean newspapers are speculating after North Korea released the first official shots of Kim Jong Un last week. In them, he looked like the spitting image of his grandfather, the extremely popular Kim Il Sung—with the same chubby cheeks, downturned mouth, and even the same haircut. More»

(NEWSER) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, reports Reuters, citing South Korean broadcaster YTN. Many observers believe the 67-year-old communist leader also suffered a stroke last year, though his apparent health problems have never officially been confirmed. More»