Kim Jong Un is ready for his close-up. Hidden away from both the North Korean people and the world for the better part of a decade, he is now the star of his very own propaganda TV special, an all-you-can-eat buffet of images glorifying the newest star of the Kim dynasty.

The documentary, broadcast last week on North Korean state TV, returns obsessively to themes presumably familiar to its North Korean viewers: Kim Jong Un's ties to the mythical origins of the North Korean revolution, his physical similarity to his avuncular grandfather, and most strikingly, the military prowess of the world's youngest leader. The North Korean government is seeking to assure its own people and the world that Kim Jong Il's death does not mark a breaking point for the regime, but rather its smooth continuation from strength to strength.

Above, Kim Jong Un flaunts his equestrian bona fides. North Korea is flooded with oil paintings of his father's and grandfather's Napoleonic horse-riding exploits, reminding the people that the first family is ready and able to resume guerrilla warfare should the hated Americans or Japanese invade again.

North Korean State TV

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