Kenji Fujimoto
Encyclopedia
is the pen name
of the Japan
ese man alleged to be North Korea
n leader Kim Jong-il
's personal sushi
chef from 1988 to 2001. Fujimoto published a memoir in 2003 entitled I was Kim Jong Il's Cook, detailing many of his experiences with Kim Jong-il.
. Soon after, he became Kim's companion; both men, according to Kenji, went shooting, riding and water-skiing together. He confirmed a widely believed rumour that Kim had a serious fall from his horse in 1992, breaking his collar bone and lying unconscious for several hours.
has a taste for "live fish" and expensive alcohol such as French wines and brandies, particularly Hennessy cognac
, while claiming that both Kim and his third son, Kim Jong-un, "both like shark fin soup three times a week." According to Fujimoto, he would travel the world for Kim, all expenses paid, purchasing Chinese melons, Czech beer, Uzbek caviar, Thai papayas and Danish pork. On one occasion, an envoy was sent to China to retrieve some McDonald's
hamburgers. Kim's wine cellar
is filled with 10,000 bottles, he said, and the banquet
s that Kim holds have lasted for four days. Fujimoto also said there is an institute based in Pyongyang
staffed by 200 individuals devoted entirely to Kim Jong-il's diet, ensuring he eats the best and most healthy foods.
He also spoke of "Kim's Joy Division"—young women chosen to dance for, sing for and bathe Kim, who would be instructed to undress but not allowed to be touched by him or his guards, saying it amounted to "theft". He said that Kim liked disco music
, and preferred watching others dance, rather than dancing himself. Fujimoto said he himself later married one of the women at a drunken wedding, where he passed out on cognac
and woke to find his pubic hair
shaved.
He has described Kim Jong-il as having a "violent temper". In an interview on Japanese commercial television, he says that Kim Jong-un, the heir apparent of Kim Jong-il, "knows how to be angry and how to praise. He has the ability to lead people... also he loves basketball, roller-blading, snowboarding and skiing... I watched him play golf once and he reminded me of a top Japanese professional." Fujimoto says he was handed a photo of Kim Jong-un when he was younger, adding they refused to share recent photos with him. He was told not to make the photo public, however in February 2009, he released the photo. Kim's other son, Kim Jong-chul
, was said by Kim to be "too feminine and unfit for leadership".
In addition to these claims, Fujimoto spoke of a nuclear accident in 1995 at an unnamed plant, where several workers became ill and lost their teeth, and that Kim Jong-il was severely affected by his father
's death in 1994 where he was found with a gun at one point. He was also reported to have asked Fujimoto in 1989 what he thought about nuclear weapons.
passport. In March 2001, shortly before he defected via China
to Japan for fear he was being spied upon, he said he presented to Kim Jong-il a videotape of a sea urchin
dish from a Japanese television show to which he promised he would cook for him. Fujimoto said he would travel to Hokkaidō
to buy some sea urchin, to which Kim replied "That's a great idea. Go for it!" On travelling to Japan, Fujimoto never returned and has lived in hiding since, after allegedly being targeted by North Korean agents. He appears on Japanese television with his face obscured as a "Kim Jong-il expert."
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese man alleged to be North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n leader Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
's personal sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
chef from 1988 to 2001. Fujimoto published a memoir in 2003 entitled I was Kim Jong Il's Cook, detailing many of his experiences with Kim Jong-il.
Arrival in North Korea
Fujimoto first visited North Korea in 1982. Six years later, he became Kim's personal sushi chef on a salary of £45,000 GBP a year, (about $80,160 USD in 1988) and was given two MercedesMercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. Soon after, he became Kim's companion; both men, according to Kenji, went shooting, riding and water-skiing together. He confirmed a widely believed rumour that Kim had a serious fall from his horse in 1992, breaking his collar bone and lying unconscious for several hours.
Claims
Fujimoto states that Kim Jong-ilKim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
has a taste for "live fish" and expensive alcohol such as French wines and brandies, particularly Hennessy cognac
Hennessy
Jas Hennessy & Co., or more simply Hennessy, is a world-leading cognac house with headquarters in Cognac, France. Today, the company of Jas Hennessy & Co...
, while claiming that both Kim and his third son, Kim Jong-un, "both like shark fin soup three times a week." According to Fujimoto, he would travel the world for Kim, all expenses paid, purchasing Chinese melons, Czech beer, Uzbek caviar, Thai papayas and Danish pork. On one occasion, an envoy was sent to China to retrieve some McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
hamburgers. Kim's wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
is filled with 10,000 bottles, he said, and the banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
s that Kim holds have lasted for four days. Fujimoto also said there is an institute based in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
staffed by 200 individuals devoted entirely to Kim Jong-il's diet, ensuring he eats the best and most healthy foods.
He also spoke of "Kim's Joy Division"—young women chosen to dance for, sing for and bathe Kim, who would be instructed to undress but not allowed to be touched by him or his guards, saying it amounted to "theft". He said that Kim liked disco music
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, and preferred watching others dance, rather than dancing himself. Fujimoto said he himself later married one of the women at a drunken wedding, where he passed out on cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
and woke to find his pubic hair
Pubic hair
Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
shaved.
He has described Kim Jong-il as having a "violent temper". In an interview on Japanese commercial television, he says that Kim Jong-un, the heir apparent of Kim Jong-il, "knows how to be angry and how to praise. He has the ability to lead people... also he loves basketball, roller-blading, snowboarding and skiing... I watched him play golf once and he reminded me of a top Japanese professional." Fujimoto says he was handed a photo of Kim Jong-un when he was younger, adding they refused to share recent photos with him. He was told not to make the photo public, however in February 2009, he released the photo. Kim's other son, Kim Jong-chul
Kim Jong-chul
Kim Jong-chul is the middle son of Kim Jong-il, leader of North Korea . His older half-brother is Kim Jong-nam. His younger brother is Kim Jong-un, supposed heir-apparent to North Korea's de facto leadership.In 2007, Jong-chul was appointed deputy chief of a leadership division of the Workers' Party...
, was said by Kim to be "too feminine and unfit for leadership".
In addition to these claims, Fujimoto spoke of a nuclear accident in 1995 at an unnamed plant, where several workers became ill and lost their teeth, and that Kim Jong-il was severely affected by his father
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
's death in 1994 where he was found with a gun at one point. He was also reported to have asked Fujimoto in 1989 what he thought about nuclear weapons.
Escape from North Korea
Fujimoto said he thought about leaving for Japan on several occasions. On a visit to Japan in 1996, he was arrested after carrying a fake Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
passport. In March 2001, shortly before he defected via China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to Japan for fear he was being spied upon, he said he presented to Kim Jong-il a videotape of a sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
dish from a Japanese television show to which he promised he would cook for him. Fujimoto said he would travel to Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
to buy some sea urchin, to which Kim replied "That's a great idea. Go for it!" On travelling to Japan, Fujimoto never returned and has lived in hiding since, after allegedly being targeted by North Korean agents. He appears on Japanese television with his face obscured as a "Kim Jong-il expert."
Books
Fujimoto has written three books: Kim's Chef, Kim's Private Life and The Honorable General Who Loved Nuclear Weapons and Girls. His 2003 memoir I was Kim Jong Il's Cook (also known as Kim's Chef) was a bestseller in Japan.External links
- Fujimoto, Kenji. (2004). I Was Kim Jong Il's Cook. The Atlantic Monthly. 293(1), 108—109.