Kim Jong Un is a North Korean politician who currently serves as the supreme commander of the North Korean armed forces and ultimately, the nation’s supreme leader after he succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011.
How Old is Kim Jong Un?
There are conflicting reports on the actual date of birth of Kim Jong Un. North Korea has listed its supreme leader’s date of birth as January 8, 1982, however, South Korean intelligence officials believe it is a year later while their American counterparts believe it is two years later in 1984. What is not disputed is that he was born in North Korea as the second child of three children to his mother, Ko Yong-hui, an opera singer and domestic partner of Kim Jong-il.
Education
Like his date of birth, Kim Jong Un’s educational history is shrouded in secrecy and left to speculation. Some reports say that he was educated at a private school located in Gumligen, outside the city of Bern, Switzerland, while another says he went to a state school in Koniz, a town also located near Bern. Further reports have said that the student who attended the state school was indeed the North Korean supreme leader while the other student of similar features was his older brother, Kim Jong-Chul.
After Switzerland, Kim Jong-un returned to Pyongyang to attend an officer-training school, the Kim Il-sung University from 2002 to 2007.
What is His Net Worth?
After assuming power in December 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Un became the most powerful man in the secret and secluded Korean nation. He has since that time been able to amass for himself a huge net worth which is estimated to be around 5 billion US dollars with Forbes Magazine ranking him as the 46th most powerful person in the world.
It should therefore not be a surprise that Kim enjoys the finer things of life despite his peoples’ sufferings. According to his former personal chef, Kenji Fujimoto, Kim drives a Mercedes-Benz 600 luxury sedan and loves to drink Johnnie Walker whiskey and smoke Yves Saint Laurent cigarettes. Basketballer Dennis Rodman has said he owns a private island that is like Ibiza in which he resides alone.
So how did Kim achieve his wealth? A few publications have said it came through the laundering of counterfeit money, exporting drugs, and trading in weapons of mass destruction although no proof has been provided to back up the claim.
Family Facts
The Kim family is locally referred to as the Mount Paektu Bloodline. Mount Paektu, which is also referred to as Mount Baekdu, is an active volcanic mountain on the China-North Korea border. It is the highest mountain in Northeast China and on the Korean Peninsula.
It is enshrined in the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System, otherwise known as the constitution of North Korea, that the Kim family will eternally lead the ruling party and rule the country.
The Kim family came into power in 1948 following Japan’s defeat in World War II which ended its rule of the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, who had previously rebelled against the Japanese, became the country’s premier under the watch of the Soviets and maintained power for 46 years.
Kim Il-sung was married twice; first to Kim Jong-suk and then to Kim Song-ae. He had a total of six children; Kim Jong-il, Kim Man-il, Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Kyong-jin, Kim Pyong-il, and Kim Yong-il.
Kim Il-sung’s eldest son and successor, Kim Jong-il, was introduced to the public as his father’s successor in 1980 after being appointed to the ruling party’s central committee. He was groomed for the position of supreme leader for 14 years before taking over following the death of his father.
Kim Jong-il had five partners; Hong Il-chon, Kim Young-sook, Song Hye-rim, Ko Yong-hui, and Kim Ok. The exact number of his off-springs are unknown, however, just five are known by the public. They are Kim Jong-nam, Kim Sul-song, Kim Jong-chul, Kim Jong-un, and Kim Yo-jong.
Height, Weight, and Other Facts
Birth Name: Kim Jong Un
Date of Birth: 8 January 1984
Place of Birth: Pyongyang, North Korea
Weight: 130 kg (290 lbs)
Height: 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m)
Sun Sign: Capricorn