A badge bearing the face of young N. Korean leader

A badge bearing the face of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was introduced in the North according to sources in China on Monday. The Kim Jong Un badges have been reportedly witnessed in Pyongyang since last month. The badges, however, seem to have been given only to some high-ranking officials, not to ordinary people.

Experts say it is not that early to introduce a badge with the young leader’s face because it was expected to be made right after Kim’s taking office, but it has been 18 months since his inauguration.

In the North, badges are to show the bearer’s social status. Different designs of the badges with the face of Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il are made for high-ranking officials of the North`s ruling Workers` Party. Distributing the Kim Jong Un badges to high-ranking officials in advance is yet another “present politics” of Pyongyang to give an impression that the Workers` Party trusts them and give them privileges.

The badge is expected to spread among North Koreans at a rapid pace because they want to show off their status with badges. The employees at the badge manufacturing company are known for selling badges on the black market at high prices after secretly making extra number of badges illegally.

The most expensive badge traded in the North is the one with the faces of both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, which is for high-ranking officials of the Workers` Party. The newest Kim Jong Un badge is expected to be traded at even high prices than this because of the scarcity.