The man who claps at things: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un shows he’s (marginally) more dynamic than his father on first inspection



Following the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il two weeks ago, there were fears in the West that his son and heir, Kim Jong Un could introduce a period of uncertainty in an already unstable region.

But if these latest pictures are anything to go by, there is one trait that the new leader shares with his dead father - an eagerness to pose for the cameras and posterity at even the most dullest of occasions.

The photographs - taken by the state-run Korean Central News Agency - show a bored-looking Kim Jong Un flanked by flunkeys as he eyes a giant buffet, tests the temperature of a running tap, and examines a bed laden with blankets. The photographs were taken during a tour of - perhaps not surprisingly - a military camp.

Winning over the troops: Kim Jong Un applauds military cadets at a camp in the capital of Pyongyang on one of his first days as leader But two other snaps reveal that the 28-year-old leader of the world's fifth largest army might have the energy and drive no doubt required to remain in charge of a communist dictatorship. In one pose he animatedly addresses a group of elderly generals who furiously write down his every word. Another image shows him applauding a group of military cadets.

Perhaps, after more than two weeks of official mourning which saw thousands throng the streets in highly emotional displays of grief, a more subdued mood has taken over the country's capital. Pyongyang.

Earlier today the administration issued a New Year message which called on all citizens to act as 'human shields' to protect their new leader while working to solve the ‘burning issue’ of food shortages.

In hot water: Kim Jong Un checks out a running tap in what appears to be a communal bathroom

On the level: What could be a bunk bed gets a tested out by the presidential palm

The nation’s three main state newspapers said in a policy-setting editorial traditionally published on New Year’s Day that Kim Jong Un has legitimacy to carry on the revolutionary battle initiated by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and developed by his father, Kim Jong Il.

‘Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of our Party and our people, is the banner of victory and glory of Songun [military-first] Korea and the eternal centre of its unity,’ the 5,000-word editorial said.

Asserting that the inexperienced young Kim is 'precisely' identical to his father, it added that ‘the whole Party, the entire army and all the people should possess a firm conviction that they will become human bulwarks and human shields in defending Kim Jong Un unto death'.



Business as usual: The young dictator issues a directive to military commanders

Notably, the editorial called North Korea’s food problem ‘a burning issue’ for the ruling Workers’ Party to solve and build ‘a thriving country’.

‘Glorify this year 2012 as a year of proud victory, a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding, true to the instructions of the great General Kim Jong Il,' read the editorial.

The destitute North has been suffering from chronic food shortages, relying heavily on outside aid.

A UN report said the isolated communist state needs food assistance for nearly three million of its 24million population.