It's Official: Kim Jong-Il Is Too Short

North Korea's Kim Jong Il has grown in stature, thanks to a pair of platform shoes that increased the Dear Leader's height by about 12cm. The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper published a recently obtained photograph of a smiling Mr Kim that shows him wearing a pair of platform shoes with heels about 10 cm-12 cm high. Mr Kim's actual height is a tightly guarded secret and Pyongyang seldom releases photographs that show his shoes. He is estimated to stand between 155 cm and 165 cm tall in his stockinged feet. The photo published was taken in 2002 during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A North Korea analyst said that Mr Kim liked to boost his height with platform shoes during his rare meetings with world leaders. "Platform shoes are an essential item for Kim Jong Il who fears being ignored when he meets outside leaders and Westerners", said Sohn Kwang-joo, chief editor of the Daily NK, a website that follows North Korean news. "What would North Koreans think if their leader was such a short man? That's why Kim feels he deserves to wear platform shoes, even if they kill his ankles," he said. Napoleon Complex