North Korea's Kim Jong Un Climbed a Mountain, State Media Says
The North Korean leader was seen atop a 9,000-foot peak in his latest feat.
— -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has had quite an eclectic time at the helm of his secretive state, if the country’s state media is to be believed: He’s hopped into a fighter jet, ridden a roller coaster, directed live fire exercises and toured factories churning out everything from mushrooms and shoes to hosiery and cellphones.
But his latest feat puts all those to shame.
Kim climbed to the top of the country’s highest mountain at dawn Saturday, according to a report from the country’s strictly controlled, state-run media.
A series of still photographs released by a state broadcaster Sunday appear to show Kim atop 9,022-foot Mt. Paektu, standing in the snow and smiling as the sun rises above him. He was also pictured with North Korean soldiers and pilots.
The North Korean government says Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, was born atop the mountain, which holds a prominent place in the regime’s founding story.
Kim climbed the mountain with a group of fighter pilots visiting “revolutionary battle sites in the area,” North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said.
“Climbing Mt. Paektu provides precious mental pabulum more powerful than any kind of nuclear weapon,” the state media report said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.