A recent report published by current affairs magazine L\u2019Hebdo in Switzerland on the subject of Kim Jong Woon has been revealed to be incorrect and apparently resulted from confusion about the identities of Kim Jong Il\u2019s second and third sons, Kim Jong Cheol and Kim Jong Woon. The publication claimed that Kim Jong Il\u2019s third son and a likely successor-designate Kim Jong Woon went by the alias \u201cPak Chol\u201d while a student at the International School in Berne, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
According to the L\u2019Hebdo report, Jong Woon was also known to have been accompanied by a North Korean student and bodyguard called Moon Gwang Chol during his studies. <\/p>\n
The claims were made in an article titled \u201cApprentice dictator speaks in Germany in the Berne dialect\u201d on the 5th. After stating that Jong Woon used the alias Pak Chol, it cited the words of his then P.E. teacher, who said that \u201cPak\u201d was shy and introverted but active in the school basketball and swimming teams, and was a good team player.<\/p>\n
The publication noted that one of Jong Woon\u2019s schoolmates, who requested anonymity, testified that Gwang Chol had always accompanied \u201cPak\u201d at Berne and seemed to be a bodyguard. The publication elaborated, saying that Gwang Chol had a good physique and would always play basketball with the other students and \u201cJong Woon.\u201d <\/p>\n
It also mentioned that Gwang Chol was in the same class as Jong Woon and, although older than Kim, looked young in appearance, so it was not an awkward situation. <\/p>\n
However, the fact is that the student who used the alias \u201cPak Chol\u201d was not Jong Woon but Jong Choel. It was revealed by the Japanese publication \u201cShukan Gendai\u201d (the Weekly Modern) last year when it released an article about Jong Cheol with attached photos of an album of student images. In the album, Jong Cheol\u2019s photo and his name, \u201cPak Chol, from N. Korea\u201d could be seen. <\/p>\n
Further, information regarding Jong Cheol\u2019s North Korean classmate Moon Gwang Chol has already been publicized by Cheong Seong Chang, a North-South relations researcher at Sejong Institute. Cheong explained in a piece from last year, \u201cJong Cheol attended school with a North Korean student named Moon Gwang Chol. He played the role of bodyguard dispatched from Pyongyang, as well as being Jong Cheol\u2019s friend, secretary, and guardian.\u201d <\/p>\n
L\u2019Hebdo commented that the classes at Berne mostly took place in English, and \u201cJong Woon\u201d was able to quickly acclimatize. He was also known to have studied German and French as well as actively participated in school field trips.<\/p>\n
This closely resembles statements made by Mr. David, who was the principal of the school at the time, about Jong Cheol. Researcher Cheong remarked regarding Jong Cheol\u2019s English proficiency, \u201cHe was quite fluent by the time he left school. He successfully mastered the course materials, which were taught in English.\u201d <\/p>\n
L\u2019Hebdo reported that during the winter, \u201cJong Woon\u201d went skiing in the Alps every Friday with fellow classmates. The publication also reported that he really liked the basketball superstar Michael Jordan and action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme.<\/p>\n
Regarding this \u201cfact,\u201d Cheong noted, \u201cJong Cheol\u2019s schoolmates testified to the fact that he especially liked action movies, would try to emulate the fight scenes of movies and enjoyed skiing every Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, Kim Jong Cheol\u2019s public photos included shots of him playing basketball while sporting the Chicago Bulls uniform. <\/p>\n
Cheong explained in a phone conversation with Daily NK on the 23rd, \u201cWhen I met Kenji Fujimoto who was the Kim Jong Il\u2019s private chef, last December, he said he had heard that Jong Cheol had used the alias \u2018Pak Chol.\u2019 Pak comes from the surname of the husband of Ko Young Sook, Jong Cheol\u2019s aunt. He was a diplomat at the time and had served as a parental figure for Jong Cheol during his stay in Switzerland.\u201d <\/p>\n
He concluded, \u201cThe error in the L\u2019Hebdo report resulted from mistaking Kim Jong Woon and Kim Jong Cheol\u2019s backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A recent report published by current affairs magazine L\u2019Hebdo in Switzerland on the subject of Kim Jong Woon has been revealed to be incorrect and apparently resulted from confusion about the identities of Kim Jong Il\u2019s second and third sons, Kim Jong Cheol and Kim Jong Woon. The publication claimed that Kim Jong Il\u2019s third […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":8620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[644],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-analysis-and-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n