North Korea’s diminutive dictator Kim Jong Un is officially larger than life — as his 7-foot-tall official portrait was unveiled for the first…
North Korea’s diminutive dictator Kim Jong Un is officially larger than life — as his 7-foot-tall official portrait was unveiled for the first time.
“That a painted portrait of Kim Jong Un has appeared in this style is a strong hint that the regime could be beginning to take steps to develop the Kim Jong Un personality cult,” Oliver Hotham, an analyst with NK News, told the BBC .
The oil portrait was on display at Pyongyang’s airport alongside one of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who arrived in the hermit kingdom earlier this week for a state visit.
It depicts a beaming Kim in a suit and tie, in contrast to his father, Kim Jong Il, who favored Mao-style tunics.
Since assuming power in 2011, Kim has pushed for a two-track policy to develop nuclear weapons as well as the economy, culminating in a June summit in Singapore with President Trump.
“Everything that’s happened in 2018 has also worked to solidify his image,” Hotham said.
