SEOUL, Dec 14 (Reuters) - North Korean heir-apparentKim Jong-un's slicked-back, high-sided haircut is a fashion hitin Pyongyang where young men are apparently queueing up for asimilar cut.
Kim, believed to be in his late 20s and known as the "YoungGeneral," is packaged to look like his late grandfather, thesecretive state's founder, Kim Il-sung.
The chubby youngest son of the current leader, Kim Jong-il, slicks his hair back at the top, and has it trimmed to the scalpto about an inch above the ears.
Completing the Kim Il-sung look, which experts say isdesigned to help win over the public's support for dynasticsuccession, the young Kim wears dark Mao-style suits.
The young Kim's haircut is dubbed a "youth" or "ambition"hairstyle in North Korea, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaperhas reported.
Earlier this week, North Korean state news agency KCNAquoted barber An Su-gil as saying the short-cut, medium-cut andsquare-cut hairstyles are now popular among young men.
North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun wrote in September thatneat and short hair for young people makes them "captivating."
"A young man with (an) ambitious high sided haircut looks sosobering and stylish," the paper added.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency said that North Koreanyoung men prefer short hairstyle for sanitary reasons, not justbecause they want to look neat and ambitious.
Kim Jong-un emerged as the reclusive North'sleader-in-waiting last year when he was named a four-stargeneral and given a prominent post within the ruling party.
This year he has regularly been photographed alongside hisfather during visits by foreign officials. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jeremy Laurence, ElaineLies and Nick Macfie)