Leaked US document: Kim Jong-il's second son 'more interested in videogames' than running North Korea

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What happens if you spend too much of your free time gaming? Well, if you're the son of a dictator, then it might mean you'll be passed over when it comes time to announce a new leader.

If you use the internet, watch TV, read newspapers, or talk to people, then you've heard about the Wikileaks cables, and the current controversy surrounding its primary spokesperson, Julian Assange.

Secret US documents, including internal notes about foreign diplomats, have been released to the world by the whistle-blowing organization. Many of them reveal what the US believes makes world leaders tick, and how to best approach them. In the case of Kim Jong-il, we discovered one of the possible reasons he didn't choose his second-youngest son to take his position.

The oldest son was "too much of a playboy," according to the leaked document, which was written in 2008 by a member of the US consulate in Shanghai. In the case of the middle child, however, the noted problem was quite different. Kim Jong-chol was said to be "more interested in videogames" than the governance of his home country. He must be a WoW addict.

Doesn't everyone know that videogames are the best training tool when it comes to running a nation? If Jong-chol had a copy of Civilization V, maybe he'd discover that being an undiplomatic god-ruler isn't necessarily the best way to go. Oh, right, that probably wouldn't help his chances either. Anyway, the youngest of the three sons, Kim Jong-un has become the heir apparent since the document was written.

Meanwhile, Wikileaks is under heavy fire from Hyrule for leaking documents which suggest an arms race with the Mushroom Kingdom. That's totally true.

[Source: Wikileaks via Kotaku]

Dec 10, 2010