Kim Jong-Who?

Kim Jong-un. How do we know this man? He is a 30-something North Korean dictator who is noticeably well-fed despite being the leader of a people starved of food. He has a taste for retro fashion, frequently donning the seldom-worn, black, silk Mao suit in official state photographs. His most salient feature is his unique version of the hi-top fade. We know of this portly character through Internet memes that caricature him as a child-like figure with a food-based mentality and a rapacious appetite for cake. Our media and literature always portray Kim Jong-un as a tantrum-prone, demanding, foolish brat, rarely taking him seriously.

In recent weeks, Kim has dramatically escalated worldwide fears of conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Following a strong United Nations sanction over a February underground nuclear bomb test, Kim announced that North Korea would officially abandon the 1953 armistice, raising more than a few hairs. Soon afterwards, he withdrew North Korea from a joint resolution that ensured a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. Sinc then, North Korea has threatened to aim its missiles toward South Korean and American bases.

In an attempt to display his seriousness, Kim has restarted his counry’s nuclear facility at Yongbyon, which houses a uranium enrichment program. North Korean authorities have stated that they would not guarantee the safety of foreign diplomatic staff in the event of a war. North Korea also shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which provides work for more than 50,000 North Koreans and hundreds of South Koreans.

In response, the United States government has beefed up its annual military exercises with South Korean forces by including F-22 Raptors and B-2 stealth bombers, both highly advanced aircraft, in the drills. The United States has even positioned new military forces to islands in the Pacific. The South Korean government has also raised its alert status to a ‘Level 2 – vital threat,’ just one level away from the Level 1 alert, which is implemented during wartime.

Even with these robust state reactions to North Korea’s provocations, people still doubt whether this time will be ‘for real’ or the final blow before a return to full-blown, military hostilities. In 2010, the world feared the worst when the South Korean ship Cheonan suddenly sank on the western coast of South Korea. Forty-six of the 104 South Korean sailors died. Although suspicions of North Korean culpability ran high, they fell on deaf ears as no substantial, solid evidence was found to back such claims. South Korea did not retaliate. The same year, in late autumn, the North Korean military shelled the South Korean-controlled island of Yeonpyeong, killing and wounding civilians on both sides. South Korea returned fire, but did not further exacerbate the situation into a larger conflict.

Now why has Kim Jong-un suddenly done an about-face from his New Year’s Day address that called for improved relations with South Korea? Could this be linked to unease over his own domestic and international image? Quite possibly. Recent reports claim that Kim Jong-un, who has yet to gain the military’s earnest loyalty, hopes to use harsh language and visits to North Korean military bases as a means of cultivating this essential partnership.

In addition, Kim Jong-un is the third son of the late Kim Jong-il.Initially, Kim Jong-il had planned for his eldest son, Kim Jong-nam and not Kim Jong-un, to succeed him. However, after a 2001 scandal involving a fake Dominican Republic passport, Kim Jong-nam fell from favor. Only by outmaneuvering his second brother, Kim Jong-chul, as a viable candidate, did Kim Jong-un secure his position as Supreme Leader. Perhaps, Kim Jong-un is merely seeking respect for which he has long desired.

This time, whether or not it is the time, both the United States and South Korea are taking the right steps in response to Kim’s actions. Their responses are serious enough to warrant giving some weight to Kim’s threats, but they are also refraining from aggravating the already delicate situation. If we interpret Kim Jong-un as a young man yearning for recognition, these serious moves play right into his need.

This idea raises the question of why Kim Jong-un deserves respect. His shifting positions on his nation’s nuclear program and on the Korean Peninsula seem irrational and capricious, stymieing foreign policy analysts. This lack of a solid position is the basis of characterizations that he is a man-child. As such, he is not a potential threat to the world, but a nagging pest. His apparent disregard for the welfare of his people is astounding and repulsive.

Kim Jong-un, however, is not to be flicked away so easily. Remember, this man is the sole ruler of one of the world’s most volatile, secretive nations. An unstable Korean Peninsula spells unimaginable trouble for the rest of Asia.