Beijing, June 3 : Kim Jong-un, the youngest son and designated heir of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il, it seems, is a splitting image of his father.

A Globe and Mail report on the young man, who is set to inherit control of a nuclear-armed state, quotes a book as sayingthat he is an avid skier, a fan of retired basketball player Michael Jordan and movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and a heavy drinker, like his dad.

At 25 or 26, this little-known son was born of Kim Jong-il's third wife, Ko Young Hee, a Japanese-born dancer who died in 2004 of breast cancer.

Living under the pseudonym Pak Chol, Kim Jong-un is believed to have studied at the International School of Berne, in Switzerland, where he learned English, French and German before returning home to study at the Kim Il-sung Military Academy, which is named after his grandfather, North Korea''''''''s first ruler.

Jong-un has long been considered his father''''''''s favourite. The eldest, 38-year-old Jong-nam, was on track to inherit power until 2001, when he disgraced himself by trying to sneak into Japan on a false passport to visit Tokyo's Disneyland.

His father detests the middle child, 28-year-old Jong-chul, for being too effeminate.

Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese national who spent more than a decade as Kim''''''''s personal sushi chef, says: "The younger prince, Jong-un, was a boy of inner strength."

In Fujimoto''''''''s book, "I was Kim Jong-il''''''''s Cook ", he predicted that "if power is to be handed over, then Jong-un is the best for it. He has superb physical gifts, is a big drinker and never admits defeat."

If Jong-un is being groomed to take over, it''''''''s expected he''''''''ll do so under the mentorship his uncle, Jang Song-taek, who is believed to have ran the country during Kim''''''''s illness. It has been reported that Jang, Kim''''''''s brother-in-law, has been granted wide powers in exchange for backing Jong-un''''''''s rise. (ANI)