… Search

Photograph your local culture, help Wikipedia and win!

Kim Jong-un
Article Talk

… … …
For other people named Kim Jong-un, see Kim Jong-
un (disambiguation).

Kim Jong-un[b][c] (English: /ˌkɪm dʒɒŋˈʊn, -ˈuːn/;[2]

Korean: 김정은, Korean: [kim.dʑɔŋ.ɯːn];[d] born 8
January 1982[e]) is a North Korean politician who
has been the supreme leader of North Korea since
2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea
(WPK) since 2012.[f] He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who
was North Korea's second supreme leader from
1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui. He is a grandson of
Kim Il-sung, who was the founder and first supreme
leader of North Korea from its establishment in 1948
until his death in 1994. Kim Jong-un is the first
leader of North Korea to have been born in the
country after its founding in 1948.

Respected Comrade
Kim Jong-un

김정은

Kim in 2019

General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea[a]

Incumbent

Assumed office
11 April 2012

Preceded by Kim Jong-il

President of the State Affairs of North Korea

Incumbent

Assumed office
29 June 2016

First Vice President Choe Ryong-hae

Vice President Hwang Pyong-so

Pak Pong-ju
Choe Ryong-hae
Kim Tok-hun

Premier Pak Pong-ju

Kim Jae-ryong
Kim Tok-hun

Preceded by Himself (as First

Chairman of the National
Defense Commission)

Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North

Korea

Incumbent

Assumed office
30 December 2011

Preceded by Kim Jong-il

First Chairman of the National Defense Commission

In office
13 April 2012 – 29 June 2016

Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chun

Ri Yong-mu
Jang Song-taek
O Kuk-ryol
Choe Ryong-hae
Hwang Pyong-so

Premier Choe Yong-rim

Pak Pong-ju

Preceded by Kim Jong-il (as

Chairman)

Succeeded by Himself (as President of

the State Affairs)

Personal details

Born 8 January 1982 (age 41)

(per North Korean
sources)
Pyongyang, North Korea

Political party Workers' Party of Korea

Spouse Ri Sol-ju (m. 2009)

Children 3 (unconfirmed),
including Kim Ju-ae

Parents Kim Jong-il (father)

Ko Yong-hui (mother)

Relatives Kim family

Alma mater Kim Il-sung University

Kim Il-sung Military
University

Signature

Military service

Allegiance North Korea

Branch/service Korean People's Army

Years of service 2010–present

Rank Wonsu

Korean name

Chosŏn'gŭl 김정은

Hancha ⾦正恩[1]

Revised Romanization Gim Jeong(-)eun

McCune–Reischauer Kim 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

From late 2010, Kim was viewed as successor to the

leadership of North Korea. Following his father's
death in December 2011, state television announced
Kim as the "Great Successor". Kim holds the titles of
WPK general secretary,[3] and president of the State
Affairs. He is also a member of the Presidium of the
WPK Politburo, the highest decision-making body. In
July 2012, Kim was promoted to the highest rank of
Marshal in the Korean People's Army, consolidating
his position as Supreme Commander 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 the country's nuclear
weapons program.

Kim rules North Korea as a totalitarian dictatorship,

[4][5] and his leadership has followed the same cult
of personality as his father and grandfather. In 2014,
a landmark United Nations Human Rights Council
report suggested that Kim could be put on trial for
crimes against humanity. He has ordered the purge
or execution of several North Korean officials; he is
also widely believed to have ordered the 2017
assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in
Malaysia. He has presided over an expansion of the
consumer economy, construction projects and
tourist attractions. Kim also expanded North Korea's
nuclear program which led to heightened tensions
with the United States and South Korea. In 2018 and
2019, Kim took part in summits with South Korean
President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald
Trump. He has claimed success in combatting the
COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea; the country did
not report any confirmed cases until May 2022,
although many experts doubt this claim.[6]

Early life

Succession

Leader of North Korea

Personal life

Awards and honors

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Last edited 3 days ago by Seraphimblade

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.
Terms of Use • Privacy policy • Desktop