Kim Jong Un reportedly sends 'Mein Kampf' to North Korean officials

Several senior North Korean officials received copies of "Mein Kampf" from Kim Jong Un to celebrate the leader's birthday.

The books were distributed as part of a "hundred-copy book," a Pyongyang practice in which small numbers of books are distributed among top officials. Most books are forbidden in North Korea, making the gift especially significant. In the past, Kim has gifted his top-ranking officials imported sports equipment, CDs and foreign books.

The book was reportedly distributed to illustrate German economic and military reconstruction after World War I, not to promote Nazism.

Kim gave a speech on reading the book to high-ranking officials and highlighted "developing the nuclear program and the economy simultaneously."

The book comes in tandem with hints that Kim and North Korean propaganda are taking cues from Hitler's regime.

“One source says there have been many overt attempts to imbue Kim Jong Un with an ‘intimidating charisma,’ such as having him shout very forcefully at associates and even throwing things at people,” said Shirley Lee, international editor of New Focus. Kim has also been pictured in state-run media looking angrier than he has in the past.