Kim Jong-un is the leader of North Korea. What kind of person is the leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un? myths and facts
Kim Jong-un (Korean: 김정은?, 金正恩; English: Kim Jong Un). Born on January 8, 1982 in Pyongyang (DPRK). Political, state, military and party leader of North Korea. Since the end of 2011, he has held the highest government and party positions in the country.
Supreme Leader, Leader of the Party, Army and People of the DPRK, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, First Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the DPRK, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Korean People's Army, Marshal of the DPRK, Deputy of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK.
Officially declared "great heir" after the death of his father Kim Jong Il.
The youngest sitting head of state in the world.
notice, that Kim is a surname, personal name is Jong-un. Koreans do not have middle names or middle names. Moreover, according to Korean rules, the surname comes before the personal name.
Kim Jong-un was born on January 8, 1982 in Pyongyang (DPRK). This date of birth is considered official. However, according to other sources, he could have been born in 1983 or 1984. It is assumed that Kim Jong-un was made older due to the fact that he was his father’s heir and was supposed to lead the state.
North Korea is a major supplier of missile technology. The largest buyers of North Korean ballistic missiles have traditionally been Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. It is assumed that the Iranian Shahab-5 and Shahab-6 missiles were created on the basis of Taepodong-2.
Under Kim Jong-un, the process of spreading information technology has actively begun in the DPRK - imports from China of smartphones and regular mobile phones have sharply increased.
Kim Jong-un's height: 175 centimeters.
Personal life of Kim Jong-un:
Married. His wife is Ri Sol Ju (리설주), a graduate of Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. Her father is a teacher, her mother is a doctor. She visited South Korea in 2005 as part of the support group for the North Korean delegation during the Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon.
The DPRK media first reported their legalized relationship on July 25, 2012. The couple began appearing in public a few weeks earlier.
It is assumed that Kim Jong-un legalized relations with her in 2009. According to media reports, in the fall-winter of 2010 or winter of 2011, she gave birth to a child, whose birth her father-in-law Kim Jong Il insisted on. Her second child was born at the end of December 2012, the child was named Zhu E.
According to a number of observers, under the influence of his wife, Kim Jong-un made some relaxations in the requirements for the appearance of North Korean women: they are now allowed to wear pantsuits and jeans, black tights, platform shoes and heels, and the ban on women driving on bicycle
Kim Jong-un's titles:
Supreme Leader of the DPRK, Leader of the Party, Army and People (since December 19, 2011)
New star
Brilliant comrade
“Genius among geniuses” in military strategy
Marshal of the DPRK (since July 18, 2012).
Kim Chen In. Prohibited biography
Leader of the DPRK
First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first Chairman of the DPRK Defense Committee since 2012, Commander-in-Chief of the Korean People's Army since 2011, Chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission. Son and successor of Kim Jong Il as leader of the DPRK.
It is known that Kim Jong-un, under the name Un Pak, graduated from the International School of Berne and was fond of basketball, especially the competitions of the North American National Basketball Association. The press wrote that in Bern, Kim Jong-un rarely appeared at school, mostly studying at home, and had problems with academic performance even though, due to his poor knowledge of the German language, he studied in a class where children were two years old younger than him. Kim Jong-un dined in restaurants accompanied by the DPRK Ambassador to Switzerland Ri Chol, who was called responsible for managing Kim Jong-il's secret treasury.
Until he was 20 years old, Kim Jong-un returned to the DPRK, after which his life was kept secret: the press did not have a single photograph of him (only his sketch was known) and did not publish reliable information that he held any positions in government of the country. Some sources stated that he is distinguished by intelligence and therefore is the favorite son of Kim Jong Il.
In the second half of 2008, there were rumors in the press about a serious illness or even death of Kim Jong Il, in particular, it was reported that he had suffered a stroke. These rumors raised the question of a possible heir to the North Korean leader. Previously, the press published information that Kim Jong Il considered Kim Jong Cher too weak to be his heir, and his eldest son, Kim Jong Nam, was called too corrupted by the casino and Western culture. As for Kim Jong-un, experts usually neglected his candidacy due to his young age. Meanwhile, information has been preserved that Ko Yong Hee, in order to make her son the heir to the leader of the DPRK, ordered officials to call him “the king of the morning star.”
On January 15, 2009, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported that, fearing for his health, Kim Jong Il had appointed Kim Jong Un as his successor. According to analysts, this appointment came as a surprise even to the leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea. Chang Sung-taek, the husband of Kim Jong Il's sister, who, according to South Korean experts, actually led the DPRK during Kim Jong Il's illness, was supposed to act as an adviser to Kim Jong-un. It is noteworthy that in an article published on the same day, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, citing its sources, named the future nominal leader of the country as Kim Jong Nam.
In February 2009, Yonhap released a report that Kim Jong-un was registered as a candidate for elections to the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK. The media noted that in this way North Korea officially began the procedure for appointing a successor to Kim Jong Il. Immediately after the March 2009 elections, the press did not find any of Kim Jong-il's sons, including Kim Jong-un, on the lists elected to the Supreme People's Assembly, but in June 2010 the South Korean press reported that Kim Jong-un was all -was elected under the pseudonym Kim Jong.
At the beginning of June 2009, Yonhap, citing the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, reported that Kim Jong Il officially introduced Kim Jong Un to the leadership of the DPRK and the diplomatic corps as his successor. Later that month, the press reported that Kim Jong-un had been appointed head of the State Security Service by his father. In addition, the Chunan Ilbo newspaper reported that Kim Jong-un received the title "Distinguished Comrade" (Brilliant Comrade).
In September 2010, the first large meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea since 1980 was announced - a party conference at which, according to journalists, the appointment of a successor to Kich Jong-il was to be announced. Although many sources still claimed that Kim Jong-un would become him, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, at a meeting with former US President Jimmy Carter in Beijing in September 2010, said that Kim Jong-il himself called rumors about the transfer of power to his son " false rumors from the West." During the party conference, North Korean television reported that Kim Jong-un received the rank of general, took a seat on the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and became vice-chairman of the party's central military commission.
On December 19, 2011, the world media reported, with reference to North Korean state television, about the death of Kim Jong Il, who died on December 17 “from mental and physical fatigue.” Kim Jong-un headed a commission of 232 people to organize his father's funeral. Kim Jong Il's funeral took place in Pyongyang on December 28; the hearse with his coffin was accompanied by Kim Jong-un, who, after the death of his father, as North Korean media wrote, became the commander-in-chief of the Korean People's Army and the “Supreme Leader” of the state. However, in the foreign press it was assumed that the main role in the leadership of the country would be played not by him, but by Chan Song Thaek, the husband of Kim Jong Il’s sister, , , , , .
At the party conference of the Workers' Party of Korea held in April 2012, Kim Jong-un received the position of first secretary of the party. This position was created specifically for him, and Kim Jong Il was named “eternal general secretary.” As news agencies noted, thereby Kim Jong-un finally established himself as the new leader of the party and the DPRK. At the same party conference, he headed the central military commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and was appointed the first chairman of the DPRK Defense Committee. In July 2012, Kim Jong-un was awarded the highest military rank of Marshal in the DPRK.
According to press reports, Kim Jong-un is overweight (90 kilograms with a height of 175 centimeters), as well as diabetes and high blood pressure. According to those who have seen him live, he is very reminiscent of his father in appearance. Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who briefly cooked in Pyongyang for Kim Jong Il, claimed that Kim Jong Un liked to eat live fish sushi and wore a T-shirt with a picture of Mel Gibson, Kim Jong Il's favorite actor , and together with his father participated in “pleasure parties”, at which naked ballerinas danced in front of them to American music.
In July 2012, state television announced the name of Kim Jong-un's wife - Ri Sol-ju; Western media identified her with the singer of the same name. Kim Jong-un has a child who was born in the fall of 2010 or winter of 2010-2011. According to some reports, Kim Jong Il insisted that Kim Jong-un have a child.
Used materials
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju. - BBC News, 25.07.2012
Joohee Cho, Akiko Fujita. North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un Gets Married. - ABC News, 25.07.2012
Kim Jong-Un named "Marshal" of NKorea. - Agence France-Presse, 22.07.2012
N.Korean leader Kim Jong-un takes top army rank. - Reuters, 18.07.2012
Kim Jong Un Announcement: North Korea Promotes Leader To Military's Top Rank. - The Associated Press, 17.07.2012
Kim Jong Un Elected First Chairman of NDC of DPRK (Urgent). - Korean Central News Agency, 13.04.2012
Kim Jong-un Named 1st Secretary of the Workers Party. - The Chosun Ilbo, 12.04.2012
Kim Jong Un appointed as chairman of WPK's Central Military Commission. - Xinhua, 12.04.2012
As Rocket Launching Nears, North Korea Continues Shift to New "Supreme Leader". - The New York Times, 12.04.2012
N.Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un fared poorly in Swiss school: report. - Agence France-Presse, 02.04.2012
North Korea calls Kim Jong Un "supreme leader". - The Associated Press, 29.12.2011
North Korean state television is broadcasting live the tears and hysteria of the country's residents watching the funeral of their leader. - NTV, 28.12.2011
Funeral of Kim Jong Il: a parade of 100 thousand troops and nationwide hysteria. - News, 28.12.2011
Sung-won Shim, Kiyoshi Takenaka. North Korean power-behind-throne emerges as neighbors meet. - Reuters, 25.12.2011
North Korea: Kim Jong-un hailed "supreme commander". - BBC News, 24.12.2011
Le dirigeant nord-coreen Kim Jong-Il est mort, son fils Kim Jong-Un lui succede. - Agence France-Presse, 19.12.2011
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dead, son hailed as heir. - Reuters, 19.12.2011
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Dies. - Korea IT Times, 19.12.2011
North Korean political figure, leader of the party, army and people, who since 2011 has held all the highest state (Chairman of the Civil Code of Defense, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the DPRK) and party (Chairman of the Labor Party, deputy of the Supreme People's Assembly) posts in the country. Kim Jong-un is also the youngest sitting head of state in the world.
Was born Chen Eun in 1982 (according to the unofficial version of world intelligence services in 1983 or 1984) in the family of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his favorites - ballerinas Ko Young Hee. Jong Un became the second heir to his father's power - after his also illegitimate older brother Kim Jong Nam (killed on 13 February 2017 in Kuala Lumpur).
According to unconfirmed reports, Kim Jong-un studied at an elite school in Bern, Switzerland. According to the official version of the DPRK, their future national leader underwent individual home training.
Since 2008, through the efforts of his own mother, he began to make his way to political Olympus in connection with the news of Kim Jong Il’s fatal illness. The latter, before his death, appointed Jong-un as head of the State Security Service. December 24, 2011 (three days after my father's death) he was officially approved as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and a little later as Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea. At that time, Eun was only 26 years old.
From the first months of his reign, Kim Jong-un showed himself as a devoted successor to the work of his ancestors - the DPRK continues to develop its own nuclear program, conduct missile tests, violating UN resolutions; in 2013, the DPRK launched a satellite into orbit. All this is accompanied by radical threats from Kim Jong-un against Japan, the United States and their satellites. These statements further worsen North Korea's international position. North Korea's only and main foreign policy partner is China, with which the DPRK has established trade.
In domestic politics, Eun also went further than his predecessors - he has already broken the record for the number of death sentences - currently more than 70 people. The young leader was also noted for organizing public executions of officials, including his own uncle, accused of attempting a coup.
Kim Jong-un carried out a series of economic and agricultural reforms, the goals of which are: decentralization of production, development of domestic and foreign trade, growth in the number of small enterprises, creation of local economic zones open to international investment, as well as increasing the welfare of the population.
Little is known about the personal life of the young leader - he is married to Ri Sol Ju, with whom he has two children, presumably born in 2010 and 2012. Kim Jong-un is a fan of world pop culture, in particular he loves watching NBA matches, movies with Mel Gibson and supports Manchester United. According to 2009 data, Jong-un had diabetes and suffered from hypertension caused by obesity. His craving for smoking also contributes to this.
In 2014, the action-comedy “The Interview” was released worldwide, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, in which Kim Jong-un was the main antagonist. The DPRK government has repeatedly expressed protest and sharp criticism of the film, which was nevertheless released in limited release in cinemas and on the Internet.
Origin of Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong Un, the youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was born in Pyongyang on January 8, 1982, according to official records. Other sources, including the intelligence services of the United States and South Korea, give other years of birth of the current leader of the DPRK - 1983, and sometimes 1984. Kim Jong-un's mother was his father's favorite, a Korean woman from Japan, Ko Yong-hee. The girl was Kim Jong Il’s favorite ballerina, whom he preferred during the so-called “pleasure parties,” during which naked dancers delighted the gaze of the leader of the North Korean people to American music banned in the country. Ko Young Hee died under unclear circumstances in 2003 or 2004.The official press of the DPRK claims that the woman died of breast cancer, the intelligence services, again, have their own version - death in a car accident. In 2003, the North Korean army conducted a unique advertising campaign dedicated to Ko Yong Hee. The slogans that the DPRK was full of at that time called the dancer a “respected mother.” If we take into account the peculiarities of Korean government, this highly likely indicated that it was one of the sons of Ko Yong Hee - Kim Jong Un or his older brother Kim Jong Cher - who would become the future leader of the blessed country.
Before Ko Yong Hee, Kim Jong Il’s favorite was actress Song Hye Rim, who gave birth to the great leader’s first child, Kim Jong Nam.
Education of Kim Jong-un
The lives of North Korean politicians and their families are the DPRK's biggest secret. Therefore, there is practically no reliable information about the life of Kim Jong-un, as well as about the life of his brothers, mother and father. One has to be content with scant reports from the official North Korean press and unverified reports leaked from sources in the intelligence services of the United States, South Korea and Japan. The only thing these sources agree on about Eun is that he received a European education. Among possible educational institutions, the Swiss International School in Bern is most often mentioned. If this is true, then Kim Jong-un did not appear at school.Kim Jong-un in the project "Dictators"
According to the official press of the DPRK, the brilliant teenager studied at home. He always dined in the most luxurious restaurants in Bern, invariably accompanied by the North Korean ambassador to Switzerland, Ri Chol, who was considered the manager of the secret treasury during the reign of Kim Jong Il. While in Europe, Kim Jong-un was allegedly fond of basketball, however, given the size of the heir to the throne, many experts find it difficult to believe it. Before reaching the age of twenty, Kim Jong-un returned to North Korea. It is unknown whether he graduated from the International School or not.
Kim Jong-un with his wife Ri Sol-ju
After returning to Korea, his life was kept in the strictest confidence - not a single photograph of Kim Jong-un was publicly available, unlike his brothers, who flashed into the press from time to time. Regarding the youngest son of Kim Jong Il, the media only had a photo identikit of him. He did not hold any positions in the country's leadership (or held positions under a pseudonym). Sources in the foreign press suggested that he is the favorite son of Kim Chem Il.
"King of the Morning Star"
At the end of 2008, the world community was alarmed by rumors of a serious illness (according to another version, death) of Kim Jong Il. The official press of the DPRK limited itself to a brief message that the leader of the people suffered a stroke. This forced many experts in the field of geopolitics to raise the question of who is considered the most likely contender for the North Korean “throne”. The press was full of reports that Kim Jong Il considered Kim Jong Cher too weak to rule the state, and Kim Jong Nam too corrupted by gambling establishments and Western culture. Kim Jong-un, on the contrary, was considered by his father to be strong and intellectual, but experts did not seriously consider his candidacy primarily because of his age - at that time he was 26 (25 or 24) years old.In addition to the information that Kim Jong-un is the favorite son of the leader of the DPRK, the fact that he will be the successor as head of the country was also supported by the fact that Kim Jong-un’s advertising campaign was carried out in 2003 among the leadership of the DPRK, which was organized by him mother. Then Ko Yong Hee ordered all officials to call him “King of the Morning Star,” and this order was carried out unquestioningly.
Appointment of Kim Jong Il as successor
On January 15, 2009, a report appeared in the world press that Kim Jong Il had officially proclaimed Kim Jong Un his heir. Analysts agreed that such a decision by the leader came as a surprise even to many of his associates. The country's leader appointed his sister's husband, Chas Song Thaek, as an adviser to Kim Jong-un. By that time, Thaek was an extremely influential figure in the North Korean leadership, and during the leader’s illness, he actually held control of the DPRK in his hands. The Western press published a report on the same day saying that the most likely ruler of North Korea would be Kim Jong Nam. 
In February 2009, the DPRK began the official procedure for appointing Kim Jong-un as the successor to the ruling leader. The North Korean press reported that Eun was registered as a candidate for elections to the Supreme Assembly of the DPRK. The elections were held in March 2009, and despite the fact that the press did not find any of Kim Jong Il’s sons on the lists of those elected, in June 2010 information appeared that Ng was nevertheless elected under the pseudonym Kim Jong. Soon, a source in the National Intelligence Service of South Korea told the press that Kim Jong-un was officially introduced to the leadership and diplomatic corps of the DPRK as the successor to Kim Jong-il. At the same time, Eun was appointed head of the North Korean State Security Service.
"Brilliant Comrade"
Kim Jong-un received the title “Brilliant Comrade” in 2011, shortly before the death of his father and the official assumption of office as ruler of the DPRK. Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack on December 17, 2011, but press reports about this appeared only 2 days later. On December 24, 2011, Kim Jong-un was officially named Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army for the first time. Kim Jong-un was confirmed as Chairman of the Central Committee of the Labor Army of the DPRK on December 29, 2011. After being appointed head of the North Korean people, Kim Jong-un did not appear in public until April 15, 2012, when he first addressed the people during a parade dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung.Foreign Policy of Kim Jong-un
The policy of the new North Korean leader is characterized by insolence and uncompromisingness. The hopes of Western experts for the liberalization of Korean society and the warming of foreign policy were not justified. At the end of 2012, North Korea, in violation of several UN Security Council resolutions, announced its entry into the “club of space powers,” causing a surge of criticism from the world community.Who is Kim Jong-un? The opinion of little experts!
February 2013 was marked by the third nuclear test in North Korea's history. Kim Jong-un's aggressive actions led to tougher sanctions against the DPRK by the UN Security Council. Kim Jong-un responded by threatening to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States, putting the world on the brink of nuclear war. On March 8, 2013, Kim Jong-un unilaterally terminated the non-aggression pact with South Korea, signed in 1953 as part of the end of the Korean War.
Personal life and health of Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong-un is experiencing health problems, suffering from excess weight, hypertension and diabetes. Like his father, Eun is interested in Western pop culture, loves movies starring Mel Gibson and follows American Basketball League (NBA) games. Some sources claim that the leader has two children, but the date and time of birth of the eldest child varies greatly - from the fall of 2010 to the winter of 2011. The second child was allegedly born at the end of December 2012. 
In July 2012, the North Korean press reported that Kim Jong-un had been married for several years. Presumably, the marriage took place in 2009. The leader's wife is dancer Lee Sol-ju. Lee Sol graduated from Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, her father is a teacher, and her mother is a physician. They most likely met in 2008, when Kim Jong Il and his son enjoyed an ensemble performance with the national orchestra. Lee Sol Ju was also on stage during the performance. An official announcement about the marriage of a North Korean leader is very rare. The father of the current leader was married several times, but all of his heirs were born to his mistresses, who had a much greater influence on the political and social life of the country.
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Historic step: Kim Jong-un crossed the border of South KoreaKim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to cross the military demarcation line into South Korean territory at the Panmunjom border crossing. Kim called this meeting with Moon Jae-in the beginning of a new story.
The leaders of North Korea and South Korea are holding their first summit in more than a decade. Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to cross the military demarcation line and enter South Korean territory at the Panmunjom border crossing.
Kim Jong-un called the meeting with Moon Jae-in the beginning of a new story.
Before the start of the summit, the leaders of the two Koreas exchanged a long (it lasted almost 30 seconds) handshake.
At that moment, both leaders were each on their own side of the border, a short dialogue took place between them, after which Moon Jae-in took a step to the North Korean side of the border at the invitation of Kim Jong-un.
After this, the leaders of the DPRK and South Korea returned back to South Korea and, accompanied by a guard of honor, went to the Peace House in the demilitarized zone, where the historic summit will take place. All this time the leaders held hands.
Before the talks began, Kim Jong-un said he hoped for a frank conversation.
As an AFP correspondent wrote on Twitter, from a distance it seemed that Moon Jae-in was doing most of the talking, while Kim Jong-un was mostly listening to him, smiling and nodding politely.
The long conversation, away from journalists and security guards, lasted almost an hour. At the same time, television broadcast live; the leaders’ words were not heard, but millions of spectators could hear the singing of rare birds preserved in the demilitarized zone.
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- Seoul stops broadcasting propaganda programs on the border with the DPRK
Historical meeting
“Today begins a new period of history - the beginning of the history and era of peace,” Kim wrote in the guest book.
Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption During his lunch break, Kim Jong-un went home to the DPRK in a limousine, surrounded by guards running on foot.After the first meeting of the delegations, the presidents left for lunch. Although Kim Jong-un brought his South Korean colleague a gift from the DPRK - cold noodles prepared according to a traditional recipe - he did not eat it with Moon Jae-in.
Kim returned to his country in a black limousine under guard, but after a break he returned to South Korea to continue negotiations.
Illustration copyright Getty ImagesThe meeting between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in was the culmination of a gradual warming of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang that began several months ago. It is expected that it will pave the way for upcoming negotiations between the United States and the DPRK.
However, many analysts remain skeptical about the sincerity of the North's recent statements about abandoning nuclear weapons.
Pyongyang last week announced an end to nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as the closure of a nuclear test site in the north of the country.
Kim Jong-un said that there is no longer a need for North Korea to conduct such tests, since the country has completed the creation of nuclear weapons. The tests are being frozen to ensure economic growth and peace on the Korean Peninsula, he said.
- Why did Kim Jong-un decide to stop nuclear testing?
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Pyeongchang, the national teams of South Korea and the DPRK marched as one team with a flag depicting a “unified” Korean Peninsula on a white background.
In March, US President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced that he had accepted Pyongyang's offer for direct negotiations. Before this, no sitting American president had met with North Korean leaders.
Illustration copyright AFP Image caption The previous Koreas summit, featuring Roh Moo-hyun (left) and then-North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, had some smiles but no real resultsThe history of inter-Korean summits is a little richer: in 1953, immediately after the failed DPRK attack on the South, negotiations between the leaders of the North and South took place in Pyongyang, and in 2000 and 2007, also in the capital of the DPRK, “beloved leader” Kim Jong Il (Kim Jong’s father Eun) received South Korean presidents.
However, no breakthroughs happened then, although South Korean President Ro Moo-hyun was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for steps towards Pyongyang. The DPRK did not comply with the agreements reached on denuclearization, but, on the contrary, conducted a series of nuclear tests.