Kim Jong-un

At 41 years old, Kim Jong-un has this physical status:

Kim Jong-un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician who is both the chief head of North Korea since 2011 and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012.

He is the second son of Kim Jong-il (1941-2011), North Korea's second chief from 1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui (1952–2004).

Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of North Korea who ruled North Korea from 1948 to 1994, was regarded as the heir apparent to the country's leadership, and the grandson of Kim Il-sung's demise in late 2010.

Kim holds the positions of Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (as First Secretary between 2012 and 2016), Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, and member of the Workers' Party of Korea's top decision-making body in North Korea.

On July 18, Kim was promoted to the rank of Marshal of North Korea in the Korean People's Army, solidifying his position as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Marshal Kim Jong-un, "the Marshal," or "Dear Respected" in North Korea's state media, is often referred to him as "the Marshal." "Kim rules a draconian state in which elections are not free and fair, government critics are imprisoned, media outlets are tightly controlled by the government, internet access is limited by the regime, and there is no freedom of religion."

Early life

Kim's birthdate is reported by North Korean officials and state-run media on January 8, 1982, but South Korean intelligence officials insist the true date is a year later. Kim's formal birth year was reportedly changed for symbolic reasons; 1982 marks 70 years since his grandfather, Kim Il-sung's birth, and 40 years after his father Kim Jong-il's official birth. Kim Jong-un's official birthdate was listed as 8 January 1984, according to the US Treasury Department before 2018. The birthdate is now listed as 8 January 1983, corresponding with Kim Jong-un's birthdate in South Korea. He was born in 1984 matches with those given by his aunt and uncle, who migrated to the United States in 1998 and were interrogated by the CIA.

Kim Jong-un is the second of three children from Kim Jong-il; his elder brother Kim Jong-chul was born in 1981, but Kim Yo-jong is believed to have been born in 1987. He is the grandson of Kim Il-sung, who was the founder and chief of North Korea from 1948 to his death in 1994. Kim is North Korea's first chief, with his father being born in the Soviet Union and his grandfather being born during the Japanese colonial period.

Both the children of Kim Jong-il are said to have lived in Switzerland, as well as the father of the two youngest sons, who lived in Geneva for some time. Kim Jong-un attended the private International School of Berne in Gümligen, Switzerland, under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998, according to first reports. He was described as shy, a good student who worked well with his classmates, and a basketball fan. An older student, who was ostensibly his bodyguard, chaperoned him. However, it was later discovered that the student at the Gümlen school was not Kim Jong-un, but rather his elder brother Kim Jong-chul.

Kim Jong-un attended the Liebefeld Steinhölzli state school in Köniz, northern Bern, under the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak" from 1998 to 2000 as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy in Bern, according to later. Authorities reported that a North Korean student from North Korea attended the school during the summer. Pak-un first attended a special class for foreign-language learners and later attended regular classes from the 6th, 7th, 8th, and part of the final 9th year, before the school abruptly ended in the fall of 2000. He was described as a well-integrated and enthusiastic student who loved basketball. However, his grades and attendance ratings have been criticized. Ri Chol, North Korea's ambassador, had a close relationship with him and served as a mentor. According to reporters, one of Pak-un's classmates told him that he had told him that he was the son of North Korea's leader. Kim was described by classmates as a timid child who was uncomfortable with girls and indifferent to political issues, but also as a sports fan who was fascinated with Michael Jordan and the American National Basketball Association. One friend claimed to have seen photos of Pak-un with Kobe Bryant and Toni Kuko.

New papers uncovered in April 2012 indicating that Kim Jong-un had lived in Switzerland since 1991 or 1992, much earlier than previously believed.

The Laboratory of Anatomic Anthropology at the University of Lyon, France, compared the picture of Pak-un taken at the Liebefeld Steinhölzli school in 1999 with a snapshot of Kim Jong-un from 2012, indicating that it is the most likely that the faces are the same individual.

Kim Jong-un's school friends recalled spending "spent hours drawing intricate pencil drawings of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan," according to the Washington Post in 2009. He was obsessed with basketball and computer games, and he was a huge fan of Jackie Chan's action movies.

Kim Jong-un attended Kim Il-sung University, a top officer-training academy in Pyongyang, from 2002 to 2007. Kim Il-sung University's physics lecture and another as an Army officer at the Kim Il-sung Military University earned two degrees, one in physics and another in arms.

Reuters revealed in late February 2018 that Kim and his father used forged passports — said to be issued by Brazil and dated back to 1996 — to apply for visas in several countries. Both 10-year passports include a stamp that reads "Embassy of Brazil in Prague." Kim Jong-un's passport shows the name "Josef Pwag" and the year of birth on February 1, 1983.

For many years, only one confirmed photograph of him was known to exist outside of North Korea, presumably taken in the mid-1990s, when he was 11 years old. Other alleged photos of him appeared occasionally, but they were often dismissed. It was only in June 2010, just before he was granted official positions and publicly announced to the North Korean people, that more photos of Kim were published when he was attending school in Switzerland. The first official picture of him as an adult was a group photograph released in September 2010 at the time of the party conference where he had effectively anointed him, in which he is seated in the front row, two places from his father. This was followed by a newsreel video of him attending the conference.

Personal life

Kim Jong-un was described as "a chip off the old block," according to Kenji Fujimoto, a Kim Jong-il personal cook, a spitting picture of his father in terms of appearance, body shape, and personality. Kim is a huge basketball fan, and his favorite teams include the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kim Jongun met Dennis Rodman on February 26, 2013, prompting many journalists to speculate that Rodman was the first American to be met by Kim Jong-un. Vice magazine reporter Ryan Duffy said Kim was "socially awkward" and avoided eye contact during Rodman's trip.

Kim Jong-un, according to Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute, has a greater interest in the wellbeing of his people and engages in more contact with them than his father did.

Kim was described as frank, amusing, and attentive by South Koreans who attended the summit in April 2018. "I discovered he was a natural performer after meeting him," Donald Trump said. "I also discovered that he adores his country very much." Kim had a "strong personality" and was "very smart," according to him.

Kim was ranked as the world's most influential person in 2018, according to Forbes magazine, the highest amongst Koreans.

According to a 2013 survey, 57% of North Korean defectors agreed that Kim Jong Un was most likely aided by the majority of his countrymen, an improvement from the 55.7% approval rating for his father in a similar survey two years ago.

Following the inter-Korean summit in May 2018, 78% of respondents trusted Kim, relative to 10% approval a few months ago.

"Kim Fatty the Third" (Chinese: Jn Sn Pàng) became a trend among Chinese Internet users of Baidu and Sina Weibo in late 2016. The North Korean government had successfully petitioned the Chinese government to censor the word on all Chinese websites in reaction.

Kim is expected to have 17 luxurious palaces around North Korea, a fleet of 100 (mostly European) luxury cars, a private jet, and a 100-foot (30 m) yacht, according to the International Business Times. "It's like Hawaii, Ibiza, or Aruba, but the only one that lives there," Rodman said of his trip to a private island owned by Kim Jong-un.

According to Business Insider, "signs of a rise in luxury products have crept out of North Korea since Kim Jong-un took over" and that Ri Sol-ju () was photographed holding what seemed to be an expensive Dior handbag worth nearly $1,594 – an average year's salary in North Korea. "Kim Jong-un likes to drink and party all night like his father," he said, and the [imported sauna] equipment was delivered to him to help him combat hangovers and exhaustion," diplomatic reports stated.

Kim received two armoured Mercedes-Maybach S600s, each valued at $500,000, as part of an illicit shipping network in violation of international sanctions.

According to reports, Kim Jong-un was diabetic and suffered from hypertension. He is also known to smoke cigarettes.

Kim Jong-un did not appear in public for six weeks between September and October 2014; he did not appear in public for six weeks. He was suffering from a "uncomfortable physical illness," according to state media. He had been limping for the longest time. He was using a walking stick when he reappeared.

Kim appeared to have shed 30 kg (66 lb) in body fat over the past five years, resulting in a total estimated body mass of 130 kg (290 lb).

Kim was not seen in public for 20 days in April 2020, sparking rumors that he was seriously ill or dead. Kim had shed a substantial amount of weight in June 2021, following a one-month absence from the public eye. He may have shed 10 to 20 kilograms (22 to 44 lb).

Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju on July 25, 2012, according to North Korean state media for the first time. Ri, who was supposed to be in her early 20s, had been accompanying Kim Jong-un for several weeks before the announcement. Kim Jong-il had hastily planned the wedding after suffering a stroke in 2008, the two married in 2009, and they had a child in 2010. Dennis Rodman, who was visiting in 2013, announced that they had a second baby, Ju-ae, and that they had been married for the second time. According to South Korean intelligence reports, the couple is said to have had their third child of unknown sex in February 2017.

Kim Yo-jong, Kim Yo-jong, who is said to be instrumental in his public image and arranging public events for him, is often accompanied by Kim Yo-jong. According to Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, and others, the Kim Jong-un regime has ended the previous Kim Jong-il regime's coexistence with the Kim Jong-un regime's ashes by deploying a generational replacement in the party's key academic positions."

Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-nam's exiled half-brother, was assassinated with the nerve agent VX while walking through Terminal 2 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13, 2017. Kim Jong-un is widely believed to have ordered the assassination of Kim Jong-un.

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