There isn’t much known about Jong-un. According to a Web exclusive by Foreign Policy Magazine, Jong-un was born in 1983 or 1984 to Kim’s third wife, Ko Hyong-hui. A memoir written by Kenji Fujimoto, Jong-il’s personal chef from many years ago, gives one of the only accounts of Jong-un and captures the only public picture of him as a child. According to Time, Fujimoto’s book, which was published in 2003, referenced Jong-un as “a chip off the old block, a spitting image of his father in terms of face, body shape and personality.”

Hmm…. That doesn’t sound so promising.

The United Kingdom’s Telegraph reported a few (suspected) facts about Kim Jong-un:
- he studied at the International School of Berne in Guemligen, Switzerland,
- after finishing his studies he returned to the military in Pyongyang,
- he can speak German, French and English,
- he’s overweight,
- he’s diabetic
- and he has possible health conditions from a car accident.

Recently Jong-un has been appointed to the National Defense Commission (NDC) in an unnamed capacity, according to South Korea’s Yonhap. This same news agency reported, in January of this year, that Kim Jong-un was appointed to take his father’s place on January 8, 2010.

Yet, with Kim Jong-il’s recent pancreatic cancer “diagnosis” it could be sooner.

With so little known about Jong-un, it’s difficult to predict the future, but we can’t expect it to be too different. A mind like Jong-il wouldn’t leave the nation that he’s worked so hard to control to someone who doesn’t share similar ideology.

Kimg Jong-un has been described as being very similar to his father. As the favorite son, we shouldn’t expect to see much of a change (for the better at least) if he is to take over when his father dies.

Only time will tell. But, if you’re interested in learning more about the suspected new ruler, you’ll probably have a difficult time finding anything out. As with many other aspects of North Korea, it’s all speculation.

While escorting a convoy of U.S. State Department vehicles to Baghdad, Blackwater guards opened fire without provocation, according to U.S. military reports, killing 17 Iraqis.

Iraqi authorities, at the time, demanded that all contracts with Blackwater be severed by the U.S. government within six months, and that $8 million in compensation be paid to each of the 17 people killed in this apparent slaughter.

Iraqis were incensed by these killings, speaking of haughty, trigger-happy guards terrorizing ordinary citizens.
Of course, this little incident only further strained Iraqi sentiment toward American intervention in Iraq, and also set up a more dangerous work environment for our American soldiers.

Since 2004, private contractors in Iraq have been granted immunity under Iraqi law by U.S. authorities. Not until this incident did the Iraqi government speak up, hitting on the fact that Blackwater’s license to operate in Iraq expired in June 2006, and that only through Iraqi courts should charges against these operatives be reviewed.

The year 2007 saw 56 shooting incidents, alone, involving Blackwater, and another report accounted for 27 deaths and 21 wounded Iraqi civilians. With that in mind, surely, American authorities went ahead and passed an amendment to the defense authorization bill last November, which places private contractors under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, exposing them to a court martial just like any other American solider.

Although these privately subcontracted military companies supply much of the man-power required to fight such a large-scale war, it only takes a small portion to shift progress and provide hugely damaging set-backs.

Okay, so this is all well and good, right? It’s so funny that just two years ago, when Blackwater was in just about every daily newspaper that the group’s gone completely out of the news as of late. What happened to Blackwater? Let me tell you.

It was announced in back in February of this year that the company would change its name to “Xe.” (Kind of interesting, or funny, depending on your perspective, that this new name shares the same characters with a popular foreign exchange site.) The company’s president, Gary Jackson, wrote in a memo to employees that the new name “reflects the change in company focus away from the business of providing private security.” Translation: We’re changing the name to shed some of that bad rap from the incident that brought so much controversy two years ago.

Currently, Blackwater, ahem, Xe, no longer has a license to operate in Iraq, seeing as how the new Iraqi government made several attempts to get them out of their country, and denied its application for an operating license back in January of this year. BUT, the company is still under contract with the State Department and some of the company personnel will likely remain in Iraq at least until September.

I say that these private contractors, essentially, serve a purpose in war time, such as it is. Just as long as they keep things quiet.

If this isn’t enough reason for you to book your tickets right away, let me tell you more. You thought that the U.S. had a free, democratic government? Well, we don’t have it in our name like the DPRK does. As we have all learned before names of countries with the words “democratic” and “people’s republic” makes them instantly legitimately safe and intelligent.

Just don’t forget to get in touch with the DPRK’s tourism organization, called “Ryohaengsa” because it will get you set up with one or two permanent tour guides. (That is, as long as you’re not from the U.S. or South Korea, because if you are, you won’t be permitted to enter the country.)

Once there, here is a tourism guide of things not to miss.

1) Make sure not to miss out on seeing American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee who will be imprisoned in a North Korean labor camp for the next twelve months. Perhaps while you are there you can remind North Korea that the U.S. Congress “sharply condemns” them for doing so and that President Obama is very disappointed in them.

2) God forbid you take a trip to North Korea and don’t get to see a “weapon of mass destruction.” All you have to do to see one is to pull someone who looks important aside and ask nicely. You can remind them George W. Bush is no longer president and that you won’t tell anyone if you’re allowed to see one….just one. Also, as a note, be sure to Facebook friend request the guy who lets you see it so you can tag him in the picture when you post it later.

3) Tell every North Korean you meet to get excited about Al Gore possibly coming over to talk their fearless leader into releasing our journalists. Be sure to tell them what Gore did for America in terms of the “green revolution.” You may even want to encourage them to get on the “green” train.

4) Bring President Kim Jong Il a salad. Gently remind him that he should be watching his weight considering he is the only fat man in his country. Just remind him that all the rest of North Korea is trying to catch up with him in weight and that he’s giving an unrealistic goal.

5) The most important thing to do in North Korea is take pictures of everything, including people. North Koreans are explicitly told to pose with tourists and welcome you with a smile when you ask for a picture with them.

With that checklist in mind, all I can say is good luck.