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Kim Jong-un

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This is a Korean name; the family name is Kim.
Supreme Leader
Marshal of the Republic

Kim Jong-un
김정은
Kim in 2019
3rd Supreme Leader of North Korea
Assumed office
17 December 2011
Preceded byKim Jong-il
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
Assumed office
10 January 2021
Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • Jo Yong-won
  • Pak Thae-song
  • Ri Pyong-chol
  • Jong Sang-hak
  • Ri Il-hwan
  • Kim Tu-il
  • Choe Sang-gon
Preceded byHimself (as Chairman)
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
Assumed office
29 June 2016
First Vice ChairmanChoe Ryong-hae
Vice Chairman
  • Hwang Pyong-so
  • Choe Ryong-hae
  • Pak Pong-ju
Preceded byHimself (as First Chairman of the National Defense Commission)
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North Korea
Assumed office
30 December 2011
Preceded byKim Jong-il
Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
In office
9 May 2016 – 10 January 2021
Vice Chairman
  • Choe Ryong-hae
  • Kim Ki-nam
  • Kim Ki-nam
  • Choe Thae-bok
  • Ri Su-yong
  • Kim Phyong-hae
  • O Su-yong
  • Kwak Pom-gi
  • Kim Yong-chol
  • Ri Man-gon
  • Pak Kwang-ho
  • Pak Thae-song
  • Thae Jong-su
  • Pak Thae-dok
  • An Jong-su
  • Choe Hwi
  • Pak Pong-ju
  • Ri Il-hwan
  • Kim Hyong-jun
  • Ri Pyong-chol
  • Kim Tok-hun
  • Kim Jae-ryong
Preceded byHimself (as First Secretary)
Succeeded byHimself (as General Secretary)
First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
In office
11 April 2012 – 9 May 2016
Secretary
  • Kim Ki-nam
  • Choe Thae-bok
  • Mun Kyong-dok
  • Pak To-chun
  • Kim Yong-il
  • Kim Yang-gon
  • Kim Phyong-hae
  • Thae Jong-su
  • Hong Sok-yong
  • Kim Kyong-hui
  • Kwak Pom-gi
  • Kang Sok-ju
  • O Su-yong
Preceded byKim Jong-il (as General Secretary)
Succeeded byHimself (as Chairman)
First Chairman of the National Defense Commission
In office
13 April 2012 – 29 June 2016
Vice Chairman
  • Kim Yong-chun
  • Ri Yong-mu
  • O Kuk-ryol
  • Jang Song-thaek
  • Choe Ryong-hae
  • Hwang Pyong-so
Preceded byKim Jong-il (as Chairman)
Succeeded byHimself (as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission)
Personal details
Born
  • (1982-01-08) 8 January 1982 (age 42)
    (North Korean records)
  • (1983-01-08) 8 January 1983 (age 41)
    (South Korean records)[1]
  • (1982-01-08) 8 January 1982 (age 42)
    (American records)[2][3]

Pyongyang, North Korea
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea
Height5' 7" (171 cm)
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2009)​
Children3 (alleged)
Parents
RelativesKim family
Alma mater
  • Kim Il-sung University
  • Kim Il-sung Military University
Signature
Military service
AllegianceNorth Korea
Branch/serviceKorean People's Army
Years of service2010–present
Rank Marshal
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised RomanizationGim Jeong(-)eun
McCune–ReischauerKim Chŏngŭn
Central institution membership
  • 2012–present: Member, Presidium of the Political Bureau of the 6th, 7th, 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2012–present: Member, Political Bureau of the 6th, 7th, 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2010–present: Member, 6th, 7th, 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2014–2019: Deputy, 13th Supreme People's Assembly
Other offices held
  • 2012–present: Chairman, Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2010–2012: Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea
Leader of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea

Kim Jong-un[5] (born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician and the 3rd and current Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011.

Early life

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According to reports in Japanese newspapers, he went to school in Switzerland near Bern. First reports claimed Kim went to the private English-language International School in Gümligen under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998.[6] Kim was described as shy and good student who got along well with his classmates and was a basketball fan.[7]

Leadership

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Xi Jinping and John Kerry are both in this 2013 cartoon.

In December 2011, Kim became the leader of North Korea after his father Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011. His grandfather Kim Il-Sung was the first leader of North Korea. On 9 March 2014, Kim was elected unopposed to the Supreme People's Assembly.

Family executions

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On 12 December 2013, North Korean news outlets reported that due to alleged "treachery", Kim had ordered the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek.[8] Kim is thought by many to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in Malaysia in February 2017.[9][10]

Nuclear power

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As of 2016, the United Nations has created five rounds of sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear program and missile tests.[11]

As of March 2018, a South Korean official Chung Eui-Yong made an announcement on North Korea in the White House briefing room that the North Korean leader Kim told the South Koreans he is "committed to denuclearisation" and "North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." and is open to meeting Donald Trump in North Korea.[12]

Human rights violations

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Human rights violations under the leadership of Kim Jong-il were condemned by the UN General Assembly.[13] Press reports indicate that they are continuing under Kim.[14]

2018 international relations

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Kim Jong-Un with US President Donald Trump in 2018 during a Summit in Singapore

In his 2018 New Year Speech, Kim said he was open to talk with South Korea, and also to taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in the South.[15] The Seoul–Pyongyang hotline was reopened after almost 2 years.[16] North and South Korea marched together in the Olympics opening ceremony under a unified flag.

In April 2018, Kim and Moon Jae-in formally attended the inter-Korean summit of 2018 and agreed to formally end the Korean War before 2019.[17][18]

In April and May 2018, Kim met with Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. In May 2018, Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would meet with Kim on June 12 in Singapore for peace talks.[19]

Personal life

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Kim is married to Ri Sol-ju. They married in 2009. They had a daughter in 2010. He attended a state school in Switzerland from 1998 to 2000 posing as a diplomat's son. Kim is reported to have later attended the Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang from 2002 to 2007.[20] His mother died of cancer in 2004.[21]

In 2009, reports suggested that Kim was a diabetic and suffered from hypertension.[22][23] He is also known to smoke cigarettes.[24]

References

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  1. ↑ "Rodman Gives Details on Trip to North Korea". The New York Times. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "We finally know the age of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "The secret life of Kim Jong-un's aunt, who has lived in the U.S. since 1998". The Washington Post. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016. They can reveal, for example, that Kim Jong-un was born in 1984 – not 1982 or 1983, as has been widely believed. The reason they're certain? It was the same year that their first son was born. 'He and my son were playmates from birth. I changed both of their diapers', Ko said with a laugh.
  4. ↑ [北 막오른 김정은 시대]조선중앙통신 보도, 金正銀(Ｘ) 金正恩 (in Korean). Naver. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  5. ↑ (in Korean)""청년대장 김정은"... 북 후계자 시사 벽보 찍혔다". Kyunghyang Shinmun. 25 September 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Blaine Harden (3 June 2009). "Son Named Heir to North Korea's Kim Studied in Switzerland, Reportedly Loves NBA". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 February 2011.Peter Foster (8 June 2010). "Rare photos of Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, released". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010.Hall, Allan (25 November 2010). "Profile". The Sun. London, UK. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "North Korean leader Kim Jong‑il 'names youngest son as successor'". The Guardian. London, UK. Associated Press. 2 June 2009. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Ahn, JH (August 10, 2016). "Kim Jong Un's executed uncle Jang Song Thaek reappears on N.Korean media". NKNews. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ DNA Confirms Assassination Victim Was Half Brother of Kim Jong-un, Malaysia Says New York Times. By Russell Goldman. 15 March 2017. Downloaded 6 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Kim Jong-un risks vital ties with China Korea Times. By Jun Ji-hye. February 16, 2017. Downloaded May 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ "UN Security Council Resolutions on North Korea". Arms Control Association. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "North Korea nuclear news". 9News. 9 March 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ "UN General Assembly slams Pyongyang's human rights record". China Post. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "North Korea's Kim Jong Un wages defector crackdown". Los Angeles Times. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
    "N. Korea's killing of 3 would-be defectors". The Dong-A Ilbo. 4 January 2012. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
    "Boomerangs Usually Come Back". Daily NK. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
    "Harsh Punishments for Poor Mourning". Daily NK. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  15. ↑ Reuters. "Kim Jong Un says he's 'open to dialogue' with South Korea so North Korea can compete in the Olympics — and Seoul wants to talk". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-02-14. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  16. ↑ Kim, Hyung-Jin (3 January 2018). "North Korea reopens cross-border communication channel with South Korea". Chicago Tribune. AP. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "North Korean leader to visit South for first time". Korea JoongAng Daily. March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Koreas make nuclear pledge after summit". BBC News. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  19. ↑ CNN, Jeremy Diamond and Kevin Liptak (10 May 2018). "Trump announces North Korea summit will be in Singapore". CNN. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ↑ "Kim Jong Un Fast Facts". CNN. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  21. ↑ News, World (5 April 2013). "Who is North Korea's secretive Kim Jong Un? Here is what we know". NBC News. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  22. ↑ "Kim Jong-un: North Korea's Kim Anoints Youngest Son As Heir". The Huffington Post. 2 June 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  23. ↑ Kim Jong-un (Kim Jong Woon) – Leadership Succession Archived 25 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Global Security.org. 3 July 2009
  24. ↑ CNN, Chieu Luu. "Kim Jong Un caught smoking during anti-smoking drive". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)

Other websites

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