Kim Jong-un has been a North Korean military and leader since December 17, 2011.
Biography
Born on January 8, 1983, in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, Kim Jong-un is the third son of former Korean dictator Kim Jong-il (1942-2011). His mother was the Japanese dancer Ko Young-hee (1953-2004) who would have been his father's great passion.
The information disclosed about his life is scarce and lacks reliable sources to prove it.
Between 1998 and 2001 (or 2000, according to some sources) he studied in the city of Bern, Switzerland, under a false identity. It was said that Kim Jong-un was the son of a North Korean diplomat and there he developed a great passion for sports, especially basketball.
Upon returning to his native country, he attended the Military Academy and University. Official propaganda claims that he is an artillery specialist, a good soldier and is even capable of training pilots.
Kim Jong-un married Ri Sol-ju and the two are supposed to already have a daughter. She has already accompanied him in several official events, which is seen as a good sign by those waiting for the opening of the country.
rise to power
Kim Jong-un was not considered his father's successor as he was not the eldest son. However, when his brother Kim Jong-nam was arrested trying to enter Japan with a false passport, he falls out of favor in his father's eyes.
The other son was considered inept and only Kim Jong-un was left as an alternative. Thus, after suffering a first heart attack, father and son were seen together during visits to barracks, military maneuvers and official ceremonies.
In order to pave his way to the summit of power, Kim Jong-un receives the rank of four-star general. This decision would have displeased many senior generals who resent the sudden promotion of a young man under thirty to generalship.
Government
Political advertising continues to treat him like a god. On television, images of a smiling man surrounded by the people multiply, reviewing production, military installations, house construction and, above all, military training.
As soon as he came to power, he performed a veritable purge by driving away those generals loyal to his father. One of the victims was the uncle who was allegedly brutally killed in front of Kim Jong-un's allies.
It is also suspected that he was behind the murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam while he was at the Malaysian airport.
As for foreign policy, Kim Jong-un has been launching rockets and making threats to US President Donald Trump, fueling a possible US-North Korea conflict.
On her part, her younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, is trained to replace him in case of illness. In February 2018, she participated in the North Korean delegation that attended the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
At the time, she took an official invitation for the South Korean president to visit North Korea.
Possible Opening Signs
When he took power, Kim Jong-un announced in his first televised speech in April 2012 that it was time for the North Korean people to enjoy the benefits of socialism.
To do this, it started a program to send students abroad to study topics such as trade and the transition from a planned economy, socialist and closed to a market economy.
On the other hand, it admits the presence of tourists even though it is strictly controlled. Likewise, several foreign businessmen travel to the country to offer business opportunities.
Even though most of the country's budget goes to the Armed Forces and its nuclear program, there are testimonies that guarantee that more resources are being allocated to agriculture and housing.
There is, however, no political opening in the short term. North Koreans continue to be banned from leaving the country, any dissent is punishable by death or, at best, confined in "re-education camps".
Likewise, children, co-workers, young people, the elderly are constantly encouraged to watch over each other. Whistleblowing is seen as something positive and encouraged from early childhood.
military might
North Korea's military strength is hard to pinpoint. This is because there may be a discrepancy between official data that tends to increase and what spies are able to assess.
It is estimated that the country has 6 to 12 nuclear bombs and has an arsenal of biological, chemical and intercontinental missiles.
The Army is made up of 1 million soldiers and another 6 million in reserve out of a population of 24 million people.
They are also a considerable digital power that has already carried out attacks on the South Korean financial system and American film studios.
End of Nuclear Tests
Since coming to power, Kim Jong-un has carried out several nuclear tests, all with intense press coverage and attention from Western countries.
However, in April, the leader announced that he would destroy one of the bases, as a gesture of goodwill and openness. Held on May 24, the explosions were accompanied only by journalists and no experts in the field, making it difficult to assess whether the facilities were effectively taken down.
Curiosities
- A big basketball fan, in 2013, King Jong-un invited former NBA player Dennis Rodman to visit the country. Since then, the athlete has made several trips to North Korea and played a basketball game against the local team.
- In North Korea no one can have the same haircut as King Jong-un.
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- Cold War
- Korean War
- Asia
- Greatest Dictators in History
