Kim Jong-un may have a thorny relationship with the U.S., South Korea and its allies, but the young leader’s detest of the West does not keep him from indulging in their food, drinks and pop culture, according to a former personal sushi chef of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

According to Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who served the deceased dictator from 1988 to 2001, junior Kim is an avid driver who enjoys driving his Mercedes, and also has a taste for Bordeaux wines and Cartier menthol cigarettes.

The 63-year-old chef said in a recent interview with the British media that Kim -- presumed to be 29 or 30 years of age -- learned how to drive a car as a child. By the time he was 7, he was able to “perfectly” drive a Mercedes vehicle with custom-made seats for his child legs.

Kim’s love was not confined to four wheels; Fujimoto said Kim cherished a Harley-Davidson motorcycle he had inherited from his father.

Kim Jong-un’s pronounced abhorrence of the U.S. and its allies does not appear to hinder him from being a fan of Hollywood star Jean-Claude Van Damme, either. Kim reportedly bought protein drinks and fitness equipment to look like his hero, though many question the effects of the alleged hard workout on his body.

Fujimoto, who managed to escape the tightly guarded communist country in 2001 by pretending to journey to Japan for rare sea urchin, has written many books about Kim Jong-il and his family. He revisited Pyongyang last year on an invitation from Kim Jong-un and met the young leader for the first time in 11 years.


From news reports
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)