70-468: Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1982, 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician who has been supreme leader of North Korea since December 2011 and the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim Jong Il , who was the second supreme leader of North Korea, and a grandson of Kim Il Sung , the founder and first supreme leader of the country. From late 2010, Kim
140-538: A cult of personality around Ko encounters the problem of her bad songbun due to her Japanese mother, even though it is usually passed on by the father. Making her identity public would have undermined the Kim family's pure bloodline, and after Kim Jong Il's death, her personal information, including her name, became state secrets. Ko's real name and other personal details have not been publicly revealed in North Korea, and she
210-766: A "normal state". The Ministry of People's Armed Forces was renamed to the Ministry of Defence in January 2021, while state media began referring to Kim as "president of the State Affairs Commission" rather than "chairman" in English language articles starting from February 2021. In November 2021, the South Korean National Intelligence Service reported that the North Korean government has begun using
280-817: A 16th-generation descendant of the Joseon scholar official, Go Deuk-jong . She, along with her family, moved to North Korea in May 1961 or 1962 as part of a repatriation program. In the early 1970s, she began working as a dancer for the Mansudae Art Troupe in Pyongyang . Her younger sister Ko Yong-suk sought asylum from the U.S. embassy in Bern , Switzerland , while she was living there taking care of Kim Jong Un during his school days, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service ; U.S. officials arranged Ko Yong-suk's departure from
350-425: A North Korean. Prior to an internal propaganda film released after the ascension of Kim Jong Un, there were three attempts made to idolize Ko, in a style similar to that associated with Kang Pan Sok , mother of Kim Il Sung , and Kim Jong Suk , the first wife of Kim Il Sung and mother of Kim Jong Il. These previous attempts at idolization failed and were stopped after Kim Jong Il's 2008 stroke. The building of
420-441: A break from the approach of his father, Kim Jong Il, who never made a televised address during his 17 years in power. He has also appeared more accessible and open than his father, hugging and linking arms with young and old. In his public appearances, he appears more active than his father or grandfather, for example, weeding, riding a horse, driving a tank, riding a rollercoaster, or using information technology. In April 2012, when
490-518: A constitutional amendment enacted by the regime explicitly named the NDC (first) chairman as "the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea". However, analysts are divided about how much actual power Kim has. In July 2012, Kim Jong Un showed a change in cultural policy from his father by attending a Moranbong Band concert. The concert contained several elements of pop culture from
560-495: A construction boom in Pyongyang, bringing colour and creative architectural styles to the city. While in the past there was a concentration on building monuments, Kim Jong Un's government has constructed amusement parks, aquatic parks, skating rinks, a dolphinarium and a ski resort. Kim has been actively promoting a consumer culture, including entertainment and cosmetics. He has also overseen the construction of tourist attractions in
630-402: A good relationship, stating that he was favored to be his father's successor. Fujimoto also said that Jong Un was favored by his father over his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul, reasoning that Jong Chul is too feminine in character, while Jong Un is "exactly like his father". Furthermore, Fujimoto stated that "if power is to be handed over then Jong Un is the best for it. He has superb physical gifts,
700-501: A newly composed "song of praise" to Kim Jong Un, in a similar fashion to that of praise songs relating to Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung. Later, in June, Kim was reported to have visited China secretly to "present himself" to the Chinese leadership. The Chinese foreign ministry has strongly denied that this visit occurred. In September 2009, it was reported that Kim Jong Il had secured support for
770-643: A nine-hour-long report in which he admitted failures in carrying out the economic plan and lambasted leading officials' shortcomings. He also praised the country's nuclear capability and addressed the United States as the DPRK's main enemy. Kim Jong Un was elected General Secretary of the WPK, which replaced the WPK Chairman. Previously, the title general secretary was awarded "eternally" to Kim Jong Il in 2012. The congress also saw
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#1732851215323840-592: A propaganda term only his father and grandfather had enjoyed. The ruling Workers' Party of Korea also said in an editorial, "We vow with bleeding tears to call Kim Jong Un our supreme commander, our leader." He was publicly declared Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army on 24 December 2011, and formally appointed to the position on 30 December 2011 when the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of
910-625: A rare Workers' Party of Korea conference in Pyongyang, the first time North Korean media had mentioned him by name and despite him having no previous military experience. Despite the promotion, no further details, including verifiable portraits of Kim, were released. On 28 September 2010, he was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and appointed to the Central Committee of the Workers' Party , in an apparent nod to become
980-500: A satellite launch failed, the government admitted this publicly, the first time it had ever done so. In May 2014, following the collapse of an apartment building in Pyongyang , Kim Jong Un was said to be very upset at the loss of life that resulted. A statement issued by the country's official news agency the Korean Central News Agency used the rare expression "profound consolation and apology". An unnamed government official
1050-458: A stamp saying "Embassy of Brazil in Prague". Kim Jong Un's passport records the name "Josef Pwag" and a date of birth of 1 February 1983. For many years, only one confirmed photograph of him was known to exist outside North Korea, apparently taken in the mid-1990s, when he was eleven. Occasionally, other supposed images of him surfaced but were often disputed. It was only in June 2010, shortly before he
1120-405: Is a big drinker and never admits defeat." Also, according to Fujimoto, Jong Un smokes Yves Saint Laurent cigarettes, loves Johnnie Walker whisky and has a Mercedes-Benz 600 luxury sedan. When Jong Un was 18, Fujimoto described an episode where Jong Un once questioned his lavish lifestyle and asked, "we are here, playing basketball, riding horses, riding jet skis, having fun together. But what of
1190-481: The COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea , as the country did not report any confirmed cases until May 2022, although several South Korean observers have questioned this claim. North Korean authorities and state-run media have stated that Kim Jong Un was born on 8 January 1982, but South Korean intelligence officials believe that the actual date is a year later, in 1983. The US government lists his birth year as 1984, based on
1260-573: The University of Lyon , France , compared the picture of Kim taken at the Liebefeld Steinhölzli school in 1999 with a picture of Kim Jong Un from 2012 and concluded that the faces show a conformity of 95%, suggesting that it is most likely that they are the same person. The Washington Post reported in 2009 that Kim Jong Un's school friends recalled he "spent hours doing meticulous pencil drawings of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan". He
1330-471: The chairman of the State Affairs Commission on 29 June 2016. These amendments marked the decrease of the military's influence, with the newly established SAC including more civilian and less military members than the NDC. During the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election , Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader to not participate as a candidate for the SPA. The constitution was further amended in 2019 by
1400-442: The 1960s, developing the national economy in parallel with the country's nuclear weapons program . A set of comprehensive economic measures, the " Socialist Corporate Responsible Management System [ ko ] ", were introduced in 2013. The measures increase the autonomy of enterprises by granting them "certain rights to engage in business activities autonomously and elevate the will to labor through appropriately implementing
1470-661: The Banner of Songun . That speech became the basis of a hymn dedicated to him, " Onwards Toward the Final Victory ". In November 2012, satellite photos revealed a half-kilometer-long (1,600 ft) propaganda message carved into a hillside in Ryanggang Province , reading, "Long Live General Kim Jong Un, the Shining Sun!" Kim Jong Un has been promoting a policy of byungjin , similar to his grandfather Kim il Sung's policies from
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#17328512153231540-692: The Central Military Commission, as well as his father's old seat on the Politburo Presidium . In a speech made prior to the Conference, Kim Jong Un declared that "Imbuing the whole society with Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the highest programme of our Party". On 11 April 2012, the 5th Session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly appointed Kim Jong Un First Chairman of the National Defence Commission . In July 2012, Kim Jong Un
1610-506: The Liebefeld Steinhölzli state school in Köniz , near Bern , under the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak" from 1998 until 2000 as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy in Bern. Authorities confirmed that a North Korean student attended the school during that period. Kim first attended a special class for foreign-language children and later attended the regular classes of the 6th, 7th, 8th and part of
1680-482: The SPA. References to Juche and Songun were replaced by Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism , and the constitution stipulated that the mission of North Korea's armed forces was to "defend unto death the Party Central Committee headed by the great Comrade Kim Jong Un"; this made Kim the first North Korean leader to be named in the constitution while currently holding power. The chairman of the State Affairs Commission
1750-407: The United States and South Korea , as well as China . In 2018 and 2019, Kim took part in summits with former South Korean president Moon Jae-in and former U.S. president Donald Trump , leading to a brief thaw between North Korea and the two countries, though the negotiations ultimately broke down without progress on reunification of Korea or nuclear disarmament. He has claimed success in combating
1820-539: The WPK reassert its commitment to communism. The Control Commission was abolished, with the Central Auditing Commission taking up its duties. The Congress was also unique in that its backdrop did not include the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il portraits that have normally been put, suggestion a desire for Kim to make his mark on the country's politics. The congress marked the consolidation of WPK control over
1890-728: The West , particularly the United States. Kim used this event to introduce his wife to the public, an unprecedented move in North Korea. In the same year, Kim Jong Il's personal chef Kenji Fujimoto visited North Korea and said, "Stores in Pyongyang were brimming with products and people in the streets looked cheerful. North Korea has changed a lot since Kim Jong Un assumed power. All of this is because of leader Kim Jong Un." According to analysts, Kim Jong Un has used his resemblance to his grandfather to harness Kim Il Sung's personality cult and popular nostalgia for earlier times. In 2013, Kim copied his grandfather's style when he gave his first New Year's address,
1960-450: The Workers' Party of Korea ie. leader of the Workers' Party, the sole political body in the country and the paramount leader position. Since November 2021, South Korean media have all reported that Kim Jong Un is called "Supreme Leader" (Suryeong) in North Korea. Ko Yong Hui Ko Yong Hui ( Korean : 고용희 ; Korean pronunciation: [ko̞.jo̞ŋ.βwi] ; 26 June 1952 – 13 August 2004), also spelled Ko Young-hee ,
2030-401: The Workers' Party of Korea "courteously proclaimed that the dear respected Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, assumed the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army". On 26 December 2011, the leading North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong Un had been acting as chairman of the Central Military Commission, and supreme leader of
2100-404: The armed forces, Kim Tok Hun heads the cabinet and handles domestic affairs, and Choe Ryong Hae heads the legislature. However, under the constitution, Kim Jong Un is the highest-ranking of the three, with the constitution explicitly naming his post the "supreme leader who represents the state". Since 1998, the NDC chairmanship has been constitutionally defined as "the highest post in the state", and
2170-558: The army, as well as a further decrease in the army's power; the number of military delegates dropped from 719 in the 7th Congress to 408. Politburo members increased from 28 to 30, though incumbent military elite membership decreased from eight to six. The influence of the KPA Party Committee and the General Political Bureau (GPB) was decreased; with the committee's ranking now equal to provincial party committees, while it
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2240-444: The autonomy and incentives for economic actors. This set of reforms known as the "May 30th measures" reaffirms both socialist ownership and "objective economic laws in guidance and management" to improve living standards. Other objectives of the measures are to increase the availability of domestically manufactured goods on markets, introduction of defence innovations into the civilian sector and boost international trade. There has been
2310-572: The choice of voting yes or no. There was a record turnout of voters and, according to government officials, all voted "yes" in his home district of Mount Paekdu . The Supreme People's Assembly subsequently elected him first chairman of the National Defence Commission . Kim has changed North Korea's internal power dynamics, increasing the influence of the WPK while decreasing the power of the military. In May 2016, he organized WPK's 7th Congress in May 2016, its first congress since 1980. In
2380-574: The congress, Kim became the Chairman of the WPK, which replaced the First Secretary of the WPK. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) amended the constitution in June 2016, abolishing the National Defence Commission (NDC) except in times of war, and replacing it with the State Affairs Commission (SAC), which was named the "supreme policy-oriented leadership body of State power". Kim became
2450-420: The country without consulting South Korean officials. It is thought that Ko and Kim Jong Il first met in 1972. In 1981, Ko had a son named Kim Jong-chul , her first child with Kim. It was Kim's fourth child, after daughter Kim Hye-gyong (born 1968 to Hong Il-chon ), son Kim Jong-nam (born 1971 to Song Hye-rim ), and daughter Kim Sol-song (born 1974 to Kim Young-sook ). Kim Jong Il's second child with Ko,
2520-466: The country's nuclear weapons program. He has also revived the structures of the WPK, expanding the party's power at the expense of the military leadership. Kim rules North Korea as a totalitarian state, and his leadership has followed the same cult of personality as his father and grandfather . In 2014, a United Nations Human Rights Council report suggested that Kim could be put on trial for crimes against humanity . According to reports, he has ordered
2590-470: The country, following his father's demise. On 27 March 2012, Kim was elected to the 4th Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea. On 11 April, that conference wrote the post of general secretary out of the party charter and instead designated Kim Jong Il as the party's "Eternal General Secretary". The conference then elected Kim Jong Un as leader of the party under the newly created title of First Secretary. Kim Jong Un also took his father's post as Chairman of
2660-637: The country, giving " on-the-spot guidance " at various sites. North Korean state media often refers to him as "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un". On 9 January 2012, a large rally was held by the Korean People's Army in front of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to honor Kim Jong Un and to demonstrate loyalty. On 15 April 2012, during a military parade to commemorate Kim Il Sung's centenary, Kim Jong Un made his first public speech, Let Us March Forward Dynamically Towards Final Victory, Holding Higher
2730-746: The country. Kim has attempted to ease North Korea's food shortages, though the food situation deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2023, during a WPK plenary session, he called for boosting agricultural production, saying that it is "important to concentrate on increasing the yield at all the farms". As with all reporting on North Korea, reports of purges and executions are difficult to verify. Allegations in 2013 that Kim Jong Un had his ex-girlfriend, singer Hyon Song Wol , executed for violating pornography laws turned out to be false. In May 2016, analysts were surprised to find that General Ri Yong Gil , reported by South Korea to have been executed earlier in
2800-470: The final 9th year, leaving the school abruptly in the autumn of 2000. He was described as a well-integrated and ambitious student who liked to play basketball. However, his grades and attendance rating are reported to have been poor. The ambassador of North Korea in Switzerland, Ri Chol , had a close relationship with him and acted as a mentor. One of Kim's classmates told reporters that he had told him that he
2870-607: The first leader of North Korea to have been born a North Korean citizen, his father having been born in the Soviet Union and his grandfather having been born during the Japanese colonial period . All of Kim Jong Il's children are said to have lived in Switzerland , as well as the mother of the two youngest sons, who lived in Geneva for some time. First reports said that Kim Jong Un attended
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2940-726: The list of lawmakers, but he was later elevated to a mid-level position in the National Defense Commission , which is a branch of the North Korean military . From 2009, it was understood by foreign diplomatic services that Kim was to succeed his father Kim Jong Il as the head of the Korean Workers' Party and de facto leader of North Korea. He has been named "Brilliant Comrade". His father had also asked embassy staff abroad to pledge loyalty to his son. There have also been reports that citizens in North Korea were encouraged to sing
3010-513: The lives of the average people?" On 15 January 2009, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that Kim Jong Il had appointed Kim Jong Un to be his successor. On 8 March 2009, BBC News reported that Kim Jong Un was on the ballot for 2009 elections to the Supreme People's Assembly , the rubber stamp parliament of North Korea. Subsequent reports indicated that his name did not appear on
3080-400: The official birth of his father Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un is the second of three children of Ko Yong Hui and Kim Jong Il; his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul , was born in 1981, while his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong , is believed to have been born in 1987. He is a grandson of Kim Il Sung, who was the founder of and led North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. Kim is
3150-408: The passport he used while studying in Switzerland. Ko Yong Suk, Kim's aunt who defected to the United States in 1997 also confirmed the 1984 birthdate, claiming that Kim was the same age as her own son who was a playmate from a young age. It is thought that Kim's official birth year was changed for symbolic reasons; 1982 marked the seventieth birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, and forty years after
3220-478: The present North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un , followed one to three years after Jong-chul. Their third child, Kim Yo Jong , a daughter, was believed to be about 23 in 2012. However, the birth year of Kim Yo Jong is also given as 1987. On 27 August 2004, various sources reported that she had died in Paris from an unspecific illness, probably of breast cancer . However, there are other reports, stating that she
3290-473: The private International School of Berne in Gümligen in Switzerland under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998. He was described as shy, a good student who got along well with his classmates, and was a basketball fan. He was chaperoned by an older student, thought to be his bodyguard. His elder brother Kim Jong Chul also attended the school with him. Later, it was reported that Kim Jong Un attended
3360-497: The purge and execution of several North Korean officials including his uncle, Jang Song-thaek , in 2013. He is also widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother , Kim Jong-nam , in Malaysia in 2017. He has presided over an expansion of the consumer economy, construction projects and tourist attractions in North Korea . Kim expanded the country's nuclear weapons program , which led to heightened tensions with
3430-526: The socialist distribution system". Another priority of economic policies that year was agriculture, where the pojon (vegetable garden) responsibility system was implemented. The system reportedly achieved a major increase in output in some collective farms. North Korean media described the economy as a "flexible collectivist system" where enterprises were applying "active and evolutionary actions" to achieve economic development. These reports reflect Kim's general economic policy of reforming management, increasing
3500-511: The succession plan, after a propaganda campaign. It is believed by some that Kim Jong Un was involved in the Cheonan sinking and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong to strengthen his military credentials and facilitate a successful transition of power from his father. Kim Jong Un was made a daejang , the equivalent of a four-star general in the United States , on 27 September 2010, a day ahead of
3570-514: The successor to Kim Jong Il. On 10 October 2010, Kim Jong Un was alongside his father when he attended the ruling Workers' Party's 65th-anniversary celebration. This was seen as confirming his position as the next leader of the Workers' Party. Unprecedented international press access was granted to the event, further indicating the importance of Kim Jong Un's presence. In January 2011, the regime reportedly began purging around 200 protégés of both Jong Un's uncle-in-law Jang Song Thaek and O Kuk Ryol ,
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#17328512153233640-449: The term "Kimjongunism", in an effort to establish an independent ideological system centered on Kim. Analyst Ken Gause described this as Kim "now ready to put his stamp firmly on the regime". According to the North Korean constitution, Kim Jong Un is part of a triumvirate heading the executive branch of the North Korean government along with Premier Kim Tok Hun and Supreme People's Assembly president Choe Ryong Hae . Kim Jong Un commands
3710-471: The vice chairman of the National Defence Commission, by either detention or execution to further prevent either man from rivaling Jong Un. On 17 December 2011, Kim Jong Il died. Despite the elder Kim's plans, it was not immediately clear after his death whether Kim Jong Un would in fact take full power, and what his exact role in a new government would be. Some analysts had predicted that when Kim Jong Il died, Jang Song Thaek would act as regent , as Kim Jong Un
3780-627: The year, was, in fact, alive and well. Supreme Leader (North Korean title) The supreme leader of North Korea ( Korean : 최고령도자 ; MR : Ch'oego Ryŏngdoja ) is the de facto hereditary leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea , the state and the Korean People's Army . Each individual North Korean leader have assumed different offices and positions, and different titles were used in North Korean propaganda that could be translated from Korean as "Great Leader", "Dear Leader", or "Supreme Leader". "Supreme Leader"
3850-438: Was above them previously. The GPB was also no longer equal to the Central Committee, while the Central Military Commission was given effective command of the armed forces. "Military-first policy" was also removed from the charter, being replaced by "people-first politics". Under Kim, North Korea has changed the names of several offices and institutions in what has been named by Yonhap News Agency as an effort to present itself as
3920-514: Was amended to be the "supreme leader who represents the state", effectively making Kim Jong Un the head of state; previously the president of the Presidium of the SPA was the de facto head of state. The chairman also was named as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces as well as the "supreme representative of all the Korean people". In January 2021, the WPK held its 8th Congress , where Kim delivered
3990-473: Was first called "Supreme Leader" in a North Korean newspaper article dated October 3, 2020, with the frequency increasing since then, including sometimes "great Supreme Leader". He was the first to be frequently called "Supreme Leader" while still alive, and at the relatively young age of 37. The 2020 newspaper article was part of the official preparations to appoint Kim Jong Un as the General Secretary of
4060-536: Was followed by newsreel footage of him attending the conference. Kim Jong Un's eldest half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, had been the favorite to succeed, but reportedly fell out of favor after 2001, when he was caught attempting to enter Japan on a fake passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland . Kim Jong-nam was killed in Malaysia in 2017 by suspected North Korean agents. Kim Jong Il's former personal chef, Kenji Fujimoto , revealed details regarding Kim Jong Un, with whom he had
4130-405: Was given official posts and publicly introduced to the North Korean people, that more pictures were released of Kim, taken when he was attending school in Switzerland. The first official image of him as an adult was a group photograph released on 30 September 2010, at the end of the party conference that effectively anointed him, in which he is seated in the front row, two places from his father. This
4200-568: Was held by Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and which was awarded posthumously to his father, Kim Jong Il, in February 2012. The promotion confirmed Kim's role as top leader of the North Korean military and came days after the replacement of Chief of General Staff Ri Yong Ho by Hyon Yong Chol . On 9 March 2014, Kim Jong Un was elected to a seat in the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's unicameral legislature . He ran unopposed, but voters had
4270-671: Was obsessed with basketball and computer games , and was a fan of Jackie Chan action movies. Most analysts agree that Kim Jong Un attended Kim Il Sung University , a leading officer-training school in Pyongyang, from 2002 to 2007. Kim obtained two degrees, one in physics at Kim Il Sung University and another as an Army officer at the Kim Il Sung Military University . In late February 2018, Reuters reported that Kim and his father had used forged passports—supposedly issued by Brazil and dated 26 February 1996—to apply for visas in various countries. Both 10-year passports carry
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#17328512153234340-416: Was originally a designation used for Kim Il Sung only, and only after his death. During his lifetime he was known as "Great Leader" ( 위대한 수령 ), a title to this day that only refers to him. His son, Kim Jong Il, was known as "Dear Leader" ( 친애하는 령도자 ) during his lifetime, and only after death did North Korean media begin calling him "Supreme Leader", in the tradition of his father. The grandson, Kim Jong Un,
4410-582: Was promoted to wonsu (translated as marshal ), the highest active rank in the military. The decision was jointly issued on by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the National Defence Commission, and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Korean Central News Agency subsequently announced. The only higher rank is Taewonsu (roughly translated as Grand Marshal or Generalissimo ) which
4480-468: Was promoted to the highest rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army , consolidating his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces . North Korean state media often refer to him as "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un". He has promoted the policy of byungjin , similar to Kim Il Sung's policy from the 1960s, referring to the simultaneous development of both the economy and
4550-503: Was quoted by the BBC as saying Kim Jong Un had "sat up all night, feeling painful". While the height of the building and the number of casualties was not released, media reports described it as a 23-story building and indicated that more than a hundred people may have died in the collapse. Kim Jong Un frequently performs symbolic acts that associate him with the personality cult of his father and grandfather. Like them, Kim Jong Un regularly tours
4620-864: Was the mistress of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Il and the mother of his successor, Kim Jong Un . Within North Korea, she is only referred to by titles, such as "The Respected Mother who is the Most Faithful and Loyal 'Subject' to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander", "The Mother of Pyongyang", and "The Mother of Great Songun Korea". Born in Ikuno Korea Town of Osaka , Japan, Ko's birth date and Japanese name in Japanese official records are 26 June 1952 and Takada Hime (高田姫), respectively. Her father, Ko Gyon-tek, worked in an Osaka sewing factory run by Japan's ministry of war,
4690-689: Was the son of the leader of North Korea. According to some reports, Kim was described by classmates as a shy child who was awkward with girls and indifferent to political issues, but who distinguished himself in sports and had a fascination with the American National Basketball Association and Michael Jordan . One friend claimed that he had been shown pictures of Kim with Kobe Bryant and Toni Kukoč . In April 2012, new documents came to light indicating that Kim Jong Un had lived in Switzerland since 1991 or 1992, earlier than previously thought. The Laboratory of Anatomic Anthropology at
4760-514: Was too inexperienced to immediately lead the country. Following his father's death, Kim Jong Un was hailed as the "great successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche ", "outstanding leader of the party, army and people", and "respected comrade who is identical to Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il", and was made chairman of the Kim Jong Il funeral committee. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described Kim Jong Un as "a great person born of heaven",
4830-566: Was treated in Paris in the spring of 2004 and flown back to Pyongyang where she fell into a coma and died in August 2004. Under North Korea's songbun ascribed status system, Ko's Korean-Japanese heritage made her part of the lowest "hostile" class. Furthermore, her father worked in a sewing factory for the Imperial Japanese Army , which gave her the "lowest imaginable status qualities" for
4900-569: Was viewed as the successor to the North Korean leadership. Following his father's death in December 2011, state television announced Kim as the "Great Successor". Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs . He is also a member of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo , the highest decision-making body in the country. In July 2012, Kim
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