Kim Jong Un facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Respected Comrade
Kim Jong Un
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김정은
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Kim in 2019
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| General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea | |
| Assumed office 11 April 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Kim Jong Il |
| President of the State Affairs Commission | |
| Assumed office 29 June 2016 |
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| First Vice President | Choe Ryong Hae |
| Vice President |
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| Premier |
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| Preceded by | Himself (as First Chairman of the National Defense Commission) |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Korean People's Army | |
| Assumed office 30 December 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Kim Jong Il |
| Chairman of the Central Military Commission | |
| Assumed office 11 April 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Kim Jong Il |
| First Chairman of the National Defense Commission | |
| In office 11 April 2012 – 29 June 2016 |
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| Vice Chairman |
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| Premier |
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| Preceded by | Kim Jong Il (as Chairman) |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as President of the State Affairs) |
| Member of the Supreme People's Assembly | |
| In office 9 April 2009 – 11 April 2019 |
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| Constituency | Paektusan 111 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 January 1982 Wonsan, Kangwon Province, North Korea |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 unconfirmed, 1 confirmed: Kim Ju Ae |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Kim family |
| Alma mater |
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| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | North Korea |
| Branch/service | Korean People's Army |
| Years of service | 2010–present |
| Rank | Wonsu |
| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl |
김정은
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| Hancha |
金正恩
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| Revised Romanization | Gim Jeongeun |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chŏngŭn |
| IPA | |
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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 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
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Kim Jong Un (English: /ˌkɪm dʒɒŋˈʊn, -ˈuːn/; born 8 January 1982 or 1983) is the current top leader of North Korea. He has been the supreme leader since 2011. He also leads the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012.
Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong Il. His father was North Korea's second supreme leader from 1994 to 2011. Kim Jong Un is also the grandson of Kim Il Sung. Kim Il Sung was the founder and first supreme leader of North Korea, from 1948 until 1994.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kim Jong Un is the second of three children of Ko Yong Hui and Kim Jong Il. His older brother, Kim Jong Chul, was born in 1981. His younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was likely born in 1987. Kim is the first North Korean leader to be born a citizen of North Korea. His father was born in the Soviet Union. His grandfather was born when Korea was under Japanese rule.
It is believed that all of Kim Jong Il's children lived in Switzerland for a time. Early reports said Kim Jong Un went to the private International School of Berne in Switzerland. He was there from 1991 to 1998, using the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol." He was described as shy but got along well with his classmates. He was also a big fan of basketball. His older brother, Kim Jong Chul, also went to this school.
Later reports suggested Kim Jong Un attended the Liebefeld Steinhölzli public school in Köniz, near Bern. He was there from 1998 to 2000, using the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak." He was said to be the son of an employee from the North Korean embassy. He first took a special class for foreign-language children. Then, he joined regular classes. He left the school suddenly in the autumn of 2000. He was described as a student who fit in well and liked basketball.
Most experts agree that Kim Jong Un attended Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. This is a top school for training officers. He studied there from 2002 to 2007. Kim earned two degrees. One was in physics from Kim Il Sung University. The other was as an Army officer from the Kim Il Sung Military University.
Becoming North Korea's Leader
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By late 2010, Kim was seen as the next leader of North Korea. After his father, Kim Jong Il, passed away in December 2011, state television announced Kim as the "Great Successor." He was officially named Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army on December 24, 2011.
Kim is part of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo. This is the highest group that makes decisions in the country. He has been promoting a policy called byungjin. This policy is similar to his grandfather's ideas from the 1960s. It means developing the country's economy and its nuclear weapons program at the same time.
Kim has expanded North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This led to some disagreements with the United States, South Korea, and China. In 2018 and 2019, Kim met with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and US president Donald Trump. These meetings helped to briefly improve relations. However, talks about reducing nuclear weapons did not make much progress.
His government has also focused on improving the daily lives of people. They have built amusement parks, water parks, and even a ski resort. Kim has also supported projects to create and improve tourist attractions in North Korea.
Family Life
On July 25, 2012, North Korean state media announced that Kim Jong Un was married. His wife is Ri Sol Ju. She was believed to be in her early 20s. She had been seen with Kim Jong Un at public events for several weeks. Some believe Kim Jong Il arranged the marriage in 2008. They married in 2009 and had a son in 2010.
After visiting North Korea in 2013, Dennis Rodman reported that they had a second child. This was a daughter named Ju Ae. South Korean intelligence sources believe the couple had a third child, a daughter, in February 2017.
Kim is sometimes seen with his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. She is thought to be important in shaping his public image. She also helps organize public events for him. Experts say that promoting Yo Jong and others shows that Kim Jong Un is bringing in a new generation of leaders.
Interesting Facts About Kim Jong Un
- North Korean sources say Kim Jong Un was born on January 8, 1982. However, his actual birth year might be 1983. The official date may have been changed for symbolic reasons. 1982 was the 70th birthday of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. It was also 40 years after his father, Kim Jong Il, was officially born.
- Kim's classmates in Switzerland described him as a shy child.
- He was very good at sports. He loved the American National Basketball Association and Michael Jordan.
- Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs.
- In July 2012, Kim was promoted to the highest rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army.
- North Korean state media often call him "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un."
- The first official picture of Kim as an adult was released on September 30, 2010. Before that, only one photo of him from when he was eleven was known to the public.
- The term "Kimjongunism" describes an independent set of ideas centered on Kim.
Awards and Honors
Jubilee Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (Russia, 2020) — awarded for his efforts to remember Soviet soldiers who died during the Soviet–Japanese War (1945) and were buried in North Korea.
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Images for kids
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Portraits of Kim Jong Un's father and grandfather (Arirang Festival mass games in Pyongyang)
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A selection of Kim Jong Un's works, translated to different languages
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People in Pyongyang watch Kim Jong Un on North Korean TV, 2015
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North Korean soldiers saluting at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in Pyongyang, 2012
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Kim (holding envelope) with Chung Eui-yong. Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong (on the right) is said to be very close to him.
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See also
In Spanish: Kim Jong-un para niños
