Kim Jong-un

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.

He is a Grandson of Kim Il Sung, who was the founder of and led North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.

Kim is the first leader of North Korea to have been born a North Korean citizen, his father having been born in the Soviet Union and his grandfather having been born during the Japanese colonial period.

All of Kim Jong Il's children are said to have lived in Switzerland, as well as the mother of the two youngest sons, who lived in Geneva for some time.

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.

He has also revived the structures of the WPK, expanding the party's power in expense of the military leadership.

Kim rules North Korea as a totalitarian state, and his leadership has followed the same cult of personality as his father and grandfather.

Kim Jong Un is the second of three children of Ko Yong Hui and Kim Jong Il; his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul, was born in 1981, while his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, is believed to have been born in 1987.

Kim Jong Un (Korean: 김정은; born 8 January 1982, 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician who has been supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012.

North Korean authorities and state-run media have stated that Kim Jong Un was born on 8 January 1982, but South Korean intelligence officials believe that the actual date is a year later.

It is thought that Kim's official birth year was changed for symbolic reasons; 1982 marked the seventieth birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, and forty years after the official birth of his father Kim Jong Il.

In 2024, reports suggested Kim had celebrated his 40th birthday, putting his birth year as 1984.

First reports said that Kim Jong Un attended the private International School of Berne in Gümligen in Switzerland under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998.

He was described as shy, a good student who got along well with his classmates, and was a basketball fan.

He was chaperoned by an older student, thought to be his bodyguard.

His elder brother Kim Jong Chul also attended the school with him.

He is the third son of Kim Jong Il, who was North Korea's second supreme leader from 1994 until his death in 2011, and Ko Yong Hui.

Later, it was reported that Kim Jong Un attended the Liebefeld Steinhölzli state school in Köniz, near Bern, under the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak" from 1998 until 2000 as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy in Bern.

Authorities confirmed that a North Korean student attended the school during that period.

Kim first attended a special class for foreign-language children and later attended the regular classes of the 6th, 7th, 8th and part of the final 9th year, leaving the school abruptly in the autumn of 2000.

He was described as a well-integrated and ambitious student who liked to play basketball.

However, his grades and attendance rating are reported to have been poor.

The ambassador of North Korea in Switzerland, Ri Chol, had a close relationship with him and acted as a mentor.

One of Kim's classmates told reporters that he had told him that he was the son of the leader of North Korea.

According to some reports, Kim was described by classmates as a shy child who was awkward with girls and indifferent to political issues, but who distinguished himself in sports and had a fascination with the American National Basketball Association and Michael Jordan.

One friend claimed that he had been shown pictures of Kim with Kobe Bryant and Toni Kukoč.

From late 2010, Kim was viewed as the successor to the North Korean leadership.

Following his father's death in December 2011, state television announced Kim as the "Great Successor".

Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs.

He is also a member of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo, the highest decision-making body in the country.

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".

In April 2012, new documents came to light indicating that Kim Jong Un had lived in Switzerland since 1991 or 1992, earlier than previously thought.

According to reports, he has ordered the purge and execution of several North Korean officials including his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, in 2013.

In 2014, a United Nations Human Rights Council report suggested that Kim could be put on trial for crimes against humanity.

He is also widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, in Malaysia in 2017.

He has presided over an expansion of the consumer economy, construction projects and tourist attractions in North Korea.

Kim expanded the country's nuclear weapons program, which led to heightened tensions with the United States and South Korea, as well as China.

In 2018 and 2019, Kim took part in summits with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and US president Donald Trump, leading to a brief thaw between North Korea and the two countries, though the negotiations ultimately broke down without progress on reunification of Korea or nuclear disarmament.

He has claimed success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea, as the country did not report any confirmed cases until May 2022, although many experts doubt this claim.