Kim Jong Un is portrayed in North Korea's official state media as a leader without comparison, blessed with a supreme bloodline, flanked by a supportive wife and endowed with the "brilliant" ability to revamp the economy, command an army and guide the space program.
But one thing is notably absent from these descriptions: any mention of his two brothers, both of whom were once rumored to be heirs to the family-run empire.
As Kim prepared for his nationally celebrated birthday Tuesday, thought to be his 30th, his brothers were far away from the state-sanctioned spotlight, one living in secrecy in North Korea, the other apparently moving between China and Singapore.