Dictator Deathwatch: It’s all in the hat

The World

The oddity that is North Korea is, of course, closely scrutinized around the world. But this report in The Chosun Ilbo newspaper has taken Kim-watching to a new level.

According to this respected Korean paper, many important eyeballs are focusing on, well, a furry hat:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son and heir Jong-un is already being treated with the same level of protocol as his father. A senior South Korean government official last Friday said Kim Jong-un seems to have moved up to the same rank as his father. "The most conspicuous sign is that Kim Jong-un has started wearing a top-quality furry hat that only Kim Jong-il has been wearing so far," the official added. Kim junior wore the same hat as his father in video clips showing Kim senior's so-called on-the-spot guidance trip to the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Jan. 23 and 24.

The photographic evidence is above. You decide.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!