This Article is From Dec 03, 2014

There Can Be Only One: North Korean Leader's Name Banned

There Can Be Only One: North Korean Leader's Name Banned

File Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, arrives at the cemeteries of fallen fighters of the Korean People's Army in July, 2013 (Associated Press)

Seoul: In North Korea, there can be only one Kim Jong Un.

A South Korean official said Wednesday that Pyongyang forbids its people from using the same name as the young absolute leader.

The measure appears meant to bolster a personality cult surrounding Kim, who took over after the death of his dictator father Kim Jong Il in late 2011.

Seoul officials say Pyongyang also banned the use of the names of Kim Jong Il and the country's founder, Kim Il Sung.

The Seoul official said Kim Jong Il in early 2011 ordered citizens with the same name as his son to get new names and demanded that authorities reject birth registrations of newborn babies with the name.

The official requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.
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