Kim Jong-il's former Japanese chef visits North Korea
Fujimoto Kenji /Yonhap
By Lee Jin-a
Fujimoto Kenji, a former Japanese chef who served North Korea’s former president Kim Jong-il, visited Pyongyang for a week recently, according to Japanese news media.
“Fujimoto arrived in Pyongyang on April 12 and took a flight to Beijing airport on Saturday afternoon,” NHK said. “The chef did not disclose the reason for his visit to North Korea, but there is a possibility that he was invited for the Kim Il-sung’s birthday event on April 15.”
Fujimoto served the Kim family for 13 years until he fled for his life back to Japan in 2001. He visited North Korea again more than 10 years later, when Kim Jong-un took power.
The chef told CNN in 2012 that the young leader gave him a free pass to visit North Korea whenever he wanted.