'Mr Kim' is Eric Clapton fan and was spotted at Royal Albert Hall concert

Their father Kim Jong-il overlooked Jong-chul as leader because he thought he is too weak and too 'girly'

He's the rebellious older brother of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, who is obsessed with Eric Clapton and reportedly makes his money selling drugs as the head of a 'brat pack' made up of rich kids from the regime's elite.

The world was reminded of Kim Jong-chul when he was pictured whooping and cheering at a recent Clapton concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In sunglasses and a black leather jacket, 'Mr Kim', 33, looked every inch the rock star himself as he was ushered into the gig with his girlfriend in tow.

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North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's older rebellious brother Kim Jong-chul, in the sunglasses and leather jacket, was pictured whooping and cheering at an Eric Clapton concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London

Playboy: Jong-chul clad in a leather jacket and sunglasses as he passes through a door at the Royal Albert Hall. He and his entourage have often been spotted gambling and shopping for designer clothes

School days: Kim Jong-chul went to the International School of Berne where he reportedly starred in a school performance of Grease

Strange Brew: Clapton has a notorious fan in Kim Jong-chul, who has been known to sing, sway and chant along with other fans at his gigs

It was the first time he has been spotted in public since his brother Jong-un became North Korea leader in 2011, according to a Japanese TV company.

Back then, Jong-un's oldest brother Kim Jong-nam was in line to become leader of the regime when their father Kim Jong-il died in December 2011.

But Jong-nam was stripped of the chance after he was caught using a fake passport sneaking into Japan to go to Disneyland.

Jong-chul was next in line, but their father is said to have considered him too weak, decadent and effeminate to take over from him as head of the extremely secretive communist state.

Over the years commentators have questioned whether he thought Jong-chul is just too sensitive and relaxed to run the strict regime.

Growing up, Jong-chul attended the International School of Berne in Switzerland, where he is thought to have performed in a school rendition of Grease.

During his time studying he also wrote a poem depicting his vision for a peaceful, nuclear-weapon free world - and his pledge to 'destroy all terrorists with the Hollywood star Jean-Claude van Damme'.

The poem, obtained by Newsnight in 2009, said: 'If I had my ideal world I would not allow weapons and atom bombs any more' - at odds with his family's bid for nuclear armament - and 'Everybody would be happy: no more war, no more dying, no more crying'.

When it was released commentators questioned whether Jong-chul's compassionate side could have been at odds with the brutality needed to run the North Korean regime.

After leaving school he reportedly starting working in the propaganda and agitation division of the Worker's Party in preparation for becoming the leader of North Korea.

Special guest: Kim Jong-chul, 33, at one of the Clapton concerts. It is the first time he has been spotted in public since his brother Kim Jong-un took power in 2011

Playboy: Kim Jong-chul spends his time jetting around the world, staying in expensive hotels, watching Eric Clapton concerts and on gambling and shopping trips

But after being cast aside as his younger brother was groomed for the top job, 'Mr Kim' has now found other ways to fill his time.

One of them is becoming a super fan of Clapton, following him around the world and even inviting him to play in North Korea's capital Pyongyang.

In 2011, while North Korea was celebrating the 70th birthday of his father, Jong-chul missed the party and instead was in Singapore, again watching Clapton perform.

As well as filling his time with globe-trotting and luxury hotels, Jong-chul is said to be the head of the 'Ponghwajo', or 'Torch Group'.

Like 'Crown Prince Party' or 'The Princelings, a group of the children of prominent and influential senior communists in China, Ponghwajo is comprised of children of ranking officials of the North Korean Workers' Party, military and senior members of the cabinet.

Due to their parents' influence, the children reportedly landed jobs at powerful organisations, but with no political aspirations, they are allowed to do largely as they please by the government.

The group is allegedly involved in earning money for themselves and for the state through selling drugs, counterfeit currency and black market deals.

Dynasty: Kim Jong-il (left) passed over Kim Jong-chul as the next leader of North Korea in favour of his younger brother Kim Jong-un (right)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (top) and his three sons. Bottom from left, Kim's first son Jong-nam, second son Jong-chul, and third son and heir Jong-un

Innocent: A young Kim Jong-chul. He was overlooked for the succession by his father for being too weak, decadent and 'girly'

Jong-chul and his entourage have been spotted on high-rolling gambling trips to Macau - China's Las Vegas - Malaysia and Singapore and shopping for designer clothes and jewellery.

He leads a playboy, jet-set lifestyle which is at odds with his overweight tyrannical younger brother.

When he jetted in to London to help Clapton celebrate his 70th birthday at the Royal Albert Hall, Jong-chul stayed in the Chelsea Harbour Hotel where rooms can cost up to £2,100 per night and he has reportedly gone AWOL since.

He had been scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Saturday from Moscow on his way to Pyongyang, a source with knowledge of the stopover said, according to The Korea Times.

But the name of Jong-chul was not on the registry of the flight from London to Moscow and he wasn’t seen at the Beijing airport Saturday.

Jong-chul is the second son of Jong-il - the first son Jonh-il had with Japanese consort Ko Yong-hui, who is also the mother of Kim Jong-un.

Jong-il's eldest son Jong-nam, 44, fell out with their father after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake Dominican Republic passport in 2001, claiming he wanted to visit Disney's Tokyo resort.

He now reportedly moves around south-east Asia living in fear he is going to be assassinated at the behest of his younger half brother Jong-chul's mother Yong-hui.

Before she died in 2004, South Korean news media carried unconfirmed reports Ms Ko had been behind a plot to have him killed because he could be a rival to her sons.

Circled: Jong-chul at Seoul Railway Station after the 2011 Clapton Singapore gig. He once invited the guitarist to play in North Korea's capital Pyongyang

Happy couple: Kim Jong-il sits with his consort Ko Yong-hui, mother of both Kim Jong-chul and Kim Jong-un