In this undated photo released by the Korean Central News Agency and distributed in Tokyo by the Korea News Service on Jan. 25, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un greets students at Mangyongdae Revolutionary School in Pyongyang.
North Korea's young new leader, Kim Jong Un, is dumping the sunglasses and aloof demeanor favored by his late father, Kim Jong Il, preferring instead to hug and hold hands with his troops for military inspections.
Kim Jong Un is greeted with cheers, applause and calls of
Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be in his late 20s, was catapulted into the top job upon the death of his father on Dec. 17.The Associated Press say his open style harkens back to his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the revered founder of the country. The AP quotes analysts as saying that the different approach may reflect an attempt to turn a corner on the periods of hardship and famine under Kim Jong Il.
One thing hasn't changed: The rock star treatment. Cheers, applause and calls of "Hurrah!" greeted Kim Jong Un on a recent inspection as he examined the heating systems of soldiers' quarters, the pressure of their water faucets, the books stacked in their libraries — even the taste of their food.
Reports and video footage of such "guidance visits" by state-run media provide rare windows into the personalities of North Korea's leaders for outsiders and for the country's people alike, the AP notes.
Few North Koreans, for instance, even knew what the elder Kim's voice sounded like, analysts say, despite his ruling for 17 years.
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