Rocket man: How Kim Jong-un emerged from his father's shadow to silence the doubters

Once described by Kim Jong-il's personal sushi chef as a "chip off the old block", Kim Jong-un has succeeded in carving out his own reputation as a ruthless leader to be taken seriously.

When his father died in December 2011, remarkably little was known of the heir apparent. He was believed to be in his 20s and, up until a year earlier, the only photograph of him was a grainy black-and-white snapshot taken when he was 11-years-old.

Almost seven years on, the young North Korean leader is taking centre stage in a diplomatic dance that on Friday took the world another step closer to bringing the curtain down on the 65-year-old war between South and North Korea.

The 34-year-old leader met South...