Jong-un Kim Son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Date of Birth: 08.01.1982 Country: China

Biography of Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un, also known as Kim Jong-woon or Kim Jong Eun, was born on January 8, 1982 (according to North Korean diplomats, although some sources claim he is a year younger), in Pyongyang, North Korea. He is the second son of Kim Jong-il, the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and his favorite mistress, Ko Young-hee, a Japanese-born ballet dancer who passed away in 2004 from breast cancer (according to other reports, she died in a car accident a year earlier).

Kim Jong-un attended the International School of Berne in Switzerland, where he developed a passion for basketball, particularly the games of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his time in Bern, he rarely attended school, preferring to study at home. He would often have meals at restaurants accompanied by Ri Chol, the North Korean ambassador to Switzerland, who was in charge of managing Kim Jong-il's secret treasury.

After turning 20, Kim Jong-un returned to North Korea, and his life remained shrouded in secrecy. There were no official photographs of him, only a composite sketch, and no reliable information was published about his roles in the government. However, some sources claimed that he was highly intelligent and considered the favorite son of Kim Jong-il.

In the second half of 2008, rumors circulated in the press about Kim Jong-il's severe illness or even death, sparking speculation about his possible successor. Earlier reports suggested that Kim Jong-il considered his eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, too weak to be his successor and dismissed Kim Jong-chol, his other son from Ko Young-hee, as being too involved with casinos and Western culture. Kim Jong-un, due to his young age, was often disregarded as a potential candidate. However, there was evidence that Ko Young-hee instructed officials to refer to him as the "Morning Star King" to position him as the heir apparent.

On January 15, 2009, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that Kim Jong-il had appointed Kim Jong-un as his successor due to concerns about his own health. 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, was supposed to serve as an advisor to Kim Jong-un. According to South Korean experts, Chang Sung-taek effectively led North Korea during Kim Jong-il's illness. Interestingly, on the same day, the Japanese newspaper Yomimuri Shimbun, citing its sources, named Kim Jong-nam as the country's future nominal leader.

In February 2009, Yonhap reported that Kim Jong-un was registered as a candidate for the Supreme People's Assembly elections in North Korea, initiating the official procedure of appointing Kim Jong-il's successor. However, after the elections in March 2009, none of Kim Jong-il's sons, including Kim Jong-un, appeared on the list of elected members. It was only in June 2010 that the South Korean press reported that Kim Jong-un had been elected under the pseudonym Kim Chen. In early June 2009, Yonhap, citing the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, announced that Kim Jong-il officially introduced Kim Jong-un as his successor to the North Korean leadership and diplomatic corps. Later that month, the press reported that Kim Jong-il had appointed Kim Jong-un as the head of the State Security Department. Additionally, the newspaper "Chunan Ilbo" reported that Kim Jong-un had been given the title of "Brilliant Comrade."

According to press reports, Kim Jong-un is overweight (90 kilograms with a height of 175 centimeters) and suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. Those who have seen him in person note a striking resemblance to his father. Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who cooked for Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, claimed that Kim Jong-un enjoyed eating live fish sushi, wore a t-shirt with the image of his father's favorite actor, Mel Gibson, and attended "pleasure parties" with his father, where naked ballerinas danced to American music. Sources in North Korea stated that a propaganda campaign in support of Kim Jong-un would begin following his appointment as the country's leader.