UPDATE 3 (2014-12-8): The Wall Street Journal points out there are many “Kim Jong-un”s in South Korea and most are female.
UPDATE 2 (2014-12-9): Although there can be only one Kim Jong-un (and previously Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il), the same level of reverence is apparently not reserved for Kim Jong-suk, Kim Jong-il’s mother and former wife of Kim Il-sung. There is currently another Kim jong-suk serving in the South Korean government According to KCNA (2012-11-29):
Jindallae Children’s Foundation Created
Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) — There took place at the People’s Palace of Culture here on Nov. 29 a ceremony of establishing Jindallae Children’s Foundation and donating funds.
Present there were Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of the DPRK, and officials concerned and the visiting delegation for the establishment of the foundation headed by Jindallae Saphariny and foreign diplomats and embassy officials here.
You can see a picture of this Kim Jong-suk here (with UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim and Ho Dam)
UPDATE 1: Apparently a defector has produced a document from the DPRK that backs up this claim. I have not seen the document.
ORIGINAL POST: According to the Associated Press:
A South Korean official said Wednesday that Pyongyang forbids its people from using the same name as the young absolute leader.
The measure appears meant to bolster a personality cult surrounding Kim, who took over after the death of his dictator father Kim Jong Il in late 2011. Seoul officials have said Pyongyang also banned the use of the names of Kim Jong Il and the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung.
The South Korean official said Kim Jong Il in early 2011 ordered citizens with the same name as his son to get new names and demanded that authorities reject birth registrations of newborn babies with the name.
The official requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. He refused to disclose how the information was obtained.
Although there is no real proof for this story, I find it entirely plausible. The case was the same for Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
In open source documents, I have been able to track down at least one other “Kim Jong un”. He published some comments in KCNA back on April 23, 1997.
The moral of the story: If you live in the DPRK, don’t name your child “Kim Jong-anything”.
Read the full AP story here:
There Can Be Only 1: N.Korean Leader’s Name Banned
Associated Press
Hyung-Jin Kim
2014-12-2
