The man before me is not yet 30 . He stands , perhaps a little unsure of himself , a nervous tic in his shoulders seeming to betray his unease . Before him is one of the largest armies on the planet . It is a war machine , still fighting a battle from more than half a century ago . They move in lockstep , legs kicking and arms swinging as one , discipline and focus measured in millimeters . A vast arsenal of weapons , missiles and tanks , pass by . The cost of this show of military might has been paid in the suffering of the people it is primed to defend . Aid groups say thousands have starved here ; meanwhile , the army has grown fat . The young man eyeing all of this is master of all he surveys . This is North Korea , and the man is Kim Jong Un . Kim Jong Un named marshal of North Korean army . This was a rare glimpse indeed of a man who now rules the notorious hermit kingdom . In April this year , North Korea opened its doors to the world 's media . CNN was there to cover the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country 's founding father , Kim Il Sung . The eternal president and `` Great Leader '' had passed power to his `` Dear Leader '' son , the erratic , eccentric Kim Jong Il . Now a third generation Kim , the so-called `` Supreme Leader , '' stood on the shoulders of his forebears . He gained power by birthright , but the world is watching as he attempts to rule in his own right . `` He is the youngest head of state in the world , '' said analyst Patrick Chovanec . `` There 's still a lot of debate about how much power he has , whether other family members are in control or the military . '' Reading North Korean tea leaves . His soldiers certainly pay lip service to their loyalty . These men are combat ready , never forgetting they have a sworn enemy in the United States . `` With the strategy of the great leader Kim Il Sung , the dear Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un with our bombs and weapons we will destroy them , '' they tell me . But beyond the war rhetoric are the realities of leading an impoverished , isolated and paranoid country . As I stood below him at this military parade , my mind wandered to the young Kim 's thoughts . What would have been going through his mind ? We 're told he was educated partly in Switzerland , loves music and western movies and is a huge basketball fan . But the country he rules is largely sealed off from the outside world . People here mostly do n't have telephones ; they never get exposure to foreign television , newspapers or films . The world is defined by endless statues , portraits and tributes to the cult of the Kims . What Kim 's 'mystery woman ' says about North Korea . When CNN visited Pyongyang , North Korea was putting on its most intimidating face . But amid this display of what the regime called power and prosperity was the lone voice of the young leader . For the first time North Koreans heard him speak . This is why he appeared nervous . Kim Jong Un mouthed the usual threats and warnings , but there was something different : an acknowledgment that North Korea must find a better future . `` Our fellow citizens , who are the best citizens in the world , who have overcome countless struggles and hardships , it is our party 's firmest resolve not to let our citizens go hungry again , '' he said . It was an important , if veiled , concession . Yes , North Korean people had suffered . Yes , the regime was responsible -- not just for the past but a better future . `` This was really his introduction . A few years ago no one even knew he existed but they 're being told to worship him , '' Chovanec said . Our government-assigned minders escorted us around the city . They were there to make sure that what we saw and heard was strictly according to the party line . In North Korea it is impossible to separate what is genuine and what is just for show . In the streets of the capital , Pyongyang , we were given a glimpse of the great future Kim Jong Un was promising . We were taken to bustling neighborhoods , saw families shopping , cars on the street . But all of this only served to hide another harsher reality . Outside this showcase city , life was so very different . In the bleak countryside , aid groups say people continue to starve . Defectors tell of surviving on little more than corn . Children are reportedly malnourished and have stunted growth . All the while billions of dollars are still spent on high-tech missiles and nuclear weapons . This is the essence of this secretive country . Kim Jong Un may struggle to emerge from the shadows of his father and grandfather , but the gun here looms even larger . As young and green as he is , he knows this much : Without it , his rule and the regime itself will not survive .
North Korea 's Kim Jong Un is the third generation of a powerful dynasty . Beyond war rhetoric are realities of an impoverished , paranoid country . Country is largely sealed off from the outside world . Aid groups describe starvation , as billions of dollars are spent on weapons .