Kim Jong-il's second son The life of Kim Jong-un's second brother, Kim Jong-chol
Kim Jong-chul was born on September 25, 1981, the second son of General Kim Jong-il, the second generation of North Korea's supreme guide, and Kim Jong-chol's mother is Ko Yung-hee, who was born in Tsuruhashi, Osaka, and returned to Japan. He also has his half-brother Kim Jong-un, half-sister Kim Yo-jung, and half-brother Kim Jong-nam (mother Seong Hye-rin). He studied abroad at the International School Bern in Switzerland in his 10s. Compared with his younger brother Kim Jong-un, who has attracted the attention of the world. He seems to have remained so unknown that many people have not heard of him. When Kim Jong-nam caused problems such as fake passports in Japan, the outside world once thought that he would become the heir, but in the end, this was not the case. It is rumored that due to his personality and endocrine disease, unlike his sister, who now holds important positions, he often appears on important occasions. He never seems to have seen it in North Korean media propaganda. It is currently rumored that he is the head of the Beacon Group.
Childhood photo of father and son
Kim Jong-chul is 3 years older than his brother, the two are the same mother, grew up together, according to the Japanese Kenji Fujimoto who used to work as a home cook for General Kim Jong-il, the brothers would fight over some small conflicts when they were young, but as they grew older, the relationship between the two brothers was very harmonious and close. He said that when he was a child, his younger brother once played chess with others, and Kim Jong-chul made a statement on the side, which caused his younger brother to lose the game and his younger brother angrily picked up the chess piece and threw it on his brother's head, but he just laughed and was not angry. Once before dinner, General Kim Jong-il once told his family about his second son: Jeong-chul can't do this, like a girl, how can it work in the future? There is also a story that reflects the difference in the personalities of their brothers, because they like to play basketball so much, the two of them formed a basketball team at the age of fifteen or sixteen to play. Fujimoto sometimes watches from the sidelines, and he finds that after the game, Kim Jong-chul will say a word to his team members and leave the stadium, but his brother will gather the players to discuss who is not doing well enough and what problems to pay attention to next time.
In 1991, he secretly came to Tokyo Disneyland in Japan with his mother and brother to linger here. When he was studying abroad in Switzerland, he loved playing computer games, and later became a little addicted, and would play games for days without going out. So much so that there is now speculation that the only Steam highlight in North Korea may be that he is playing. After he returned to Pyongyang from studying abroad in 1998, he was rumored to have become addicted to computer games, much to Kim's displeasure. Time flies, and as an adult, Kim Jong-chul fell in love with music. Especially obsessed with British singer Eric Clapton, he once repeatedly begged his father to invite Clapton to Pyongyang to hold a concert, his father could not resist his request and agreed, but in the end he could not make the trip for some reason. He has been photographed watching Clapton perform in Singapore or Germany and the UK on several occasions.
In mid-June 2006, Japanese and South Korean media discovered that Kim Jong-chul had brought a female companion to Germany, supposedly to attend a concert by Eric Clapton in Germany. When the reporter stepped forward and asked in English, "Where did it come from?" The man also asked rhetorically in English: "What's wrong?" ”
Kim Jong-chul in 1988 at the age of 6
On February 14, 2011, he was photographed watching Clapton concert in Singapore, and it was noted that February 16, 2011, was his father's 70th birthday. At this time, he was not ready to celebrate his father's birthday, but he was watching the concert outside, which made people feel a little strange.
The most notable was his visit to London in 2015, as usual to see Clapton concerts. During this visit, people learned more about his life. According to the recollections of the escort at the time, Kim Jong-chul formed a band in Pyongyang and would play music himself when he was fine, and a guitarist who came with him said that Kim Jong-chol's music level was very high. The hotel he stayed in London cost about £2,000 a night, was a smoker, took a taxi and had to take a few sips during meals. I also like to drink foreign wine, and when I am happy, I will call a few friends to discuss music while drinking. He was very persistent in doing things, and he ran many places to buy a guitar in his heart, and finally heard that there was a certain town, and he drove more than 200 kilometers to buy it in a small town. According to the entourage, this guitar does not look special, but he just wants it, and after buying it, he can't help but start playing his favorite music in the car back to the house, and singing with everyone, which shows how happy he is. When he left, he said that he had finally come to London and wanted to return with gifts for his children, otherwise he would be called a bad father. The entourage recalled that they kept their distance from him at that time and did not know what he bought. Because he doesn't like to let people know what he's bought.
Photos left by the concert in London
Compared to his younger brother, Kim Jong-chul lived a reclusive life, usually did not receive attention, and he did not even appear at the funeral of General Kim Jong-il, the second-generation supreme mentor, in 2011. At present, there is very little information about his life, but there is intelligence that he is currently the leader of the Beacon Group, an organization composed of the sons and daughters of North Korean high-ranking officials and martyrs, and it is rumored that the dismissal of Ri Young-ho, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, was led by Kim Jong-chul. He is also maintaining North Korea's stability in ways that are invisible to the outside world.