Kim Jong Un biography, weight loss, net worth, height, sister, wife, kids, age 2025

Kim Jong-un's biography

Kim Jong-un is the third generation of the dictatorial dynasty that has ruled North Korea for more than 70 years. The young leader came to power following his father Kim Jong-il, who had inherited the position from North Korea's first leader, Kim Il-sung. Promoted as the great successor to the revolutionary Juche ideology, Kim stands out for his approach to foreign policy. Net worth: roughly $5 billion.

Childhood and family

The leader's official birth date remains classified. However, his birth date (January 8) came to light in 2014 when basketball player Dennis Rodman was invited to Pyongyang for a game celebrating the leader's birthday. Some sources claim he was born in 1982, while South Korean intelligence agents say he was born two years later.

According to some sources, Kim Jong-il's son was born from his relationship with Ko Yong-hui, a dancer of Japanese and Korean descent. The identity of the Great Leader's third partner was kept secret for years because she wasn't of pure Korean blood and had low social status. The press gave her elaborate titles like "the Respected Mother, Most Faithful and Loyal 'Subject' to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander," but this information only became public after her death in 2004. Her cause of death remains unknown, but what's certain is that Kim Jong-il's partner and mother of his three children died in Paris sometime between 2004 and 2005, where she had been living after their relationship ended.

Kim Jong-il and Kim II-sung – the father and grandfather of Kim Jong-un

According to Zoomboola.com, he studied in Switzerland. He lived near his elite school under an assumed name with his staff and bodyguards, receiving private tutoring from teachers. After returning to North Korea in 2002, the future leader graduated in absentia from the university named after his grandfather, earning a degree in Physics. From 2002 to 2005, he also attended the Military Academy named after his grandfather, where he received his first military rank.

Successor of the Father of the Nation

While his father held the official titles of Dear Leader, Father of the People, Shining Star of Paektu Mountain, and Guarantee of the Fatherland's Unification, Kim junior received the rank of Brilliant Comrade and was appointed head of homeland security. Rumors that Kim Jong-un would succeed his father as the country's leader were confirmed in 2009 when the Yonhap news agency published Kim Jong-il's directive to Workers' Party leaders.

Early 2010 brought another promotion – the rank of General, and in September of that year, Kim Jong-un's portrait appeared for the first time on the front page of the country's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun, showing the politician standing alongside his father at a Workers' Party rally.

Over the course of a year, the young general and Brilliant Comrade Kim accompanied his father to all public events, speeches, military parades, training sessions, and official visits.

Kim Jong-un at the rally of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang

On December 17, 2011, the leader died from a heart attack. What's known is that the Dear Leader suffered from serious vascular and immune system diseases, along with related complications and musculoskeletal disorders. Despite this, he was a heavy smoker who preferred strong cigarettes and cigars, enjoyed his cognac, took little care of himself, and didn't follow doctors' orders.

The life of Kim Jong-un and his wife

The press announced the Great Leader's death only two days after it occurred, simultaneously declaring the name of the new leader and successor to the revolutionary Juche ideology. At the end of December, the country's central agency published Jong-un's portrait, proudly naming him a Great Person, born in Heaven for the common good – marking the third time this title was passed down. The first was the Great Leader Kim Jong-il, and after his death, leadership passed to Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

The successor of the Father of the Nation

These leadership titles originated during Kim's grandfather's rule – he was known as the Great Commander. Praise for the national leader's virtues peaked in the 1980s when these titles appeared in bold print.

Following the official announcement on December 29, 2011, Kim received titles reflecting all his responsibilities, though the press most often calls him Superior Comrade, as well as Dear and Respected Comrade Kim.

Duties of commander-in-chief

During Kim Jong-un's first year in power, North Korea joined the ranks of space-faring nations, violating UN resolutions and drawing sharp criticism from the European Union. Nuclear tests conducted at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013 triggered even harsher sanctions against the country, building on those already in place since Kim Jong-il's era.

Kim Jong-un's foreign policy is set apart by severe rigidity and refusal to compromise

The young leader's foreign policy follows the original course set by the dynasty's founder, but historians and political analysts note this approach stands apart due to its severe rigidity and refusal to compromise. Following the "Kwangmyongsong" satellite launch, the nation's leader delivered a speech—also published internationally—claiming North Korea's right to develop outer space technology for advancing the country's science and economy.

By late 2015, reports emerged that North Korea possessed a thermonuclear bomb—information that was later officially confirmed. North Korea conducted three more ballistic missile tests in 2016 and 2017, after which Kim Jong-un declared the tests successful and claimed Korean scientists had created an unmatched weapons arsenal. The nuclear test site closed at the end of 2017, though official sources indicated the country would keep its nuclear weapons operational.

Domestic policy changes have focused on social and economic development, particularly in construction, information technology, and agriculture. Foreign investment in North Korea has grown significantly since 2012, leading to more corporations engaging in both small and large private businesses, positively impacting citizens' quality of life.

Reforms affecting citizens' personal and cultural lives have boosted the leader's popularity, especially among women. Until 2013, women couldn't appear in public wearing jeans or pants; Kim Jong-un issued orders lifting the ban on pants, colorful stockings, and heels. Moreover, women were allowed to ride bicycles.

At a Workers' Party rally in spring 2018, Kim announced his intention to achieve an economic breakthrough through "high-technology measures to Juche-size, modernize and increase research intensity"—changes he believed would further improve citizens' quality of life.

The historic June 2018 meeting between Kim Jong-un and the U.S. President yielded preliminary agreements on Korean peninsula denuclearization, but their February 2019 follow-up meeting failed to produce any signed agreements.

Kim Jong-un's personal life

North Korea's young charismatic leader is married to Ri Sol-ju, a graduate of Kim Il-sung University's vocal department in Pyongyang. Her biography remains classified, though it's known she was born between 1985 and 1989 and comes from an elite family.

According to a South Korean newspaper, Kim first spotted her on TV in 2010 when she was performing as a singer with the "Unhasu" ensemble. The media first reported Kim and Ri Sol-ju's wedding in 2012, but the exact ceremony date remains unknown.

They had their first child in 2010 or 2011, their second in either 2012 or 2013. According to foreign media, the leader became a father for the third time in February 2017.

Kim Jong-un has his own share of health problems

Kim's health remains a hot topic in the media, with coverage swinging from one extreme to another. It is known that he inherited diabetes and joint problems from his father, which is why he has to wear orthopedic shoes and stick to a diet. However, he also inherited his father's stubbornness, which explains why he continues smoking and drinking cognac while refusing to address his obesity; in 2012 his weight reached a peak of 120 kgs, with a height of 162 cm (the "official" height of the DPRK leader is 175 cm, but in May 2018, journalists realized that he wears special shoes to appear taller, specifically - they increase his height by 13 cm).

Kim is passionate about pop culture, loves music, and follows sports events worldwide.

Kim Jong-un now

The spring of 2020 saw a significant decline in Kim Jong-un's public activity - in April, for the first time during his reign, he missed the ceremony in honor of Kim Il Sung's birthday at the Kumsusan Sun Palace. Media reports suggested Kim Jong-un was in poor health. Soon his sister Kim Yo-jong was appointed to an even higher position, sparking speculation that she might soon take over.

North Korea holds a rare military parade, 2020

However, in late spring, Kim Jong-un appeared in public again. The Japanese defense minister suggested that the leader of North Korea could have moved to another country so as not to contract the coronavirus.

North Korea: Life Inside the Secret State

In 2021, according to Reuters, during a convention of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un announced that the country's five-year economic development plan had failed on almost all fronts. The leader of the state stressed that it is necessary to strengthen the economy on the basis of our own forces.

Jesus Palmer

There is even nothing to say about this Jong-un... Dementia and courage is his motto

2021-05-13 22:56:54
Veronica Joseph

It feels like the whole world is making fun of Kim Jong Un, because it is simply impossible to take this person seriously.

2021-04-19 22:34:38
Jerry Smith

Kim Jong-un is just a complete fool. Doing some kind of fierce game, no shame or conscience.

2021-04-16 10:07:24
Melissa Bridges

I would never have gone to this North Korea! Disgrace is going on there and all its presidents must burn in hell!

2021-03-27 22:12:23
Aiden Mason Kelly

Lord, how have I heard about life in North Korea, I am so sorry for its people

2021-02-04 13:00:16

Photos: Kim Jong-un