Kim Jong-un

**Kim Jong-un** (born 8 January 1982) is the North Korean president and the 3rd and current Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012

## Early life

According to reports in Japanese newspapers, he went to school in Switzerland near Bern. First reports claimed Kim went to the private English-language International School in Gümligen under the name “Pak-un” from 1993 to 1998. Kim was described as shy and good student who got along well with his classmates and was a basketball fan.

## Leadership

In December 2011, Kim became the leader of North Korea after his father Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011. His grandfather Kim Il-Sung was the first leader of North Korea. On 9 March 2014, Kim was elected unopposed to the Supreme People's Assembly.

### Family executions

On 12 December 2013, North Korean news outlets reported that due to alleged "treachery", Kim had ordered the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek. Kim is thought by many to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in Malaysia in February 2017.

### Nuclear power

As of 2016, the United Nations has created five rounds of sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear program and missile tests.

As of March 2018, a South Korean official Chung Eui-Yong made an announcement on North Korea in the White House briefing room that the North Korean leader Kim told the South Koreans he is "committed to denuclearisation" and "North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." and is open to meeting Donald Trump in North Korea.

### Human rights violations

Human rights violations under the leadership of Kim Jong-il were condemned by the UN General Assembly. Press reports indicate that they are continuing under Kim.

### 2018 international relations

In his 2018 New Year Speech, Kim said he was open to talk with South Korea, and also to taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in the South. The Seoul–Pyongyang hotline was reopened after almost 2 years. North and South Korea marched together in the Olympics opening ceremony under a unified flag.

In April 2018, Kim and Moon Jae-in formally attended the inter-Korean summit of 2018 and agreed to formally end the Korean War before 2019.

In April and May 2018, Kim met with Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. In May 2018, Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would meet with Kim on June 12 in Singapore for peace talks.

## Personal life

Kim is married to Ri Sol-ju. They married in 2009. They had a daughter in 2010. He attended a state school in Switzerland from 1998 to 2000 posing as a diplomat's son. Kim is reported to have later attended the Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang from 2002 to 2007. His mother died of cancer in 2004.

In 2009, reports suggested that Kim was a diabetic and suffered from hypertension. He is also known to smoke cigarettes.

## Other websites

- North Korea's Young Leader on Show – video report by _The New York Times_
- NSA Archive Kim Jong-Il: The "Great Successor"
- Official short biography  at Naenara
- Kim Jong-un's works at Publications of the DPRK

## Infobox (korean name)

- **child**: yes
- **title**: **Kim Jong-un** or **Kim Jong Un**
- **image**: Kim Jong-un (Korean and Chinese characters).svg
- **image size**: 160px
- **caption**: "Kim Jong-un" in Hangul, Chosŏn'gŭl (top) and Hanja, hancha (bottom) scripts
- **context**: north
- **rr**: Gim Jeong(-)eun
- **mr**: Kim Chŏngŭn


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: Supreme leader, Supreme Leader
Marshal of the Republic
- **name**: Kim Jong-un
- **image**: Russia's President Vladimir Putin on state visit to North Korea (cropped 3).jpg
- **caption**: Mr Kim in 2024
- **office**: 3rd Supreme Leader (North Korea), Supreme Leader of North Korea
- **term start**: 17 December 2011
- **predecessor**: Kim Jong-il
- **office1**: General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
- **1blankname1**: Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
- **1namedata1**: * Jo Yong-won
* Pak Thae-song
* Ri Pyong-chol
* Jong Sang-hak
* Ri Il-hwan
* Kim Tu-il
* Choe Sang-gon
- **term start1**: 11 April 2012
- **predecessor1**: Himself (as Chairman)
- **office2**: Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
- **1blankname2**: First Vice Chairman
- **1namedata2**: Choe Ryong-hae
- **2blankname2**: Vice Chairman
- **2namedata2**: *Hwang Pyong-so
*Choe Ryong-hae
*Pak Pong-ju
- **term start2**: 29 June 2016
- **predecessor2**: Himself (as First Chairman of the National Defense Commission)
- **office3**: Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North Korea
- **term start3**: 30 December 2011
- **predecessor3**: Kim Jong-il
- **office4**: Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
- **1blankname4**: Vice Chairman
- **1namedata4**: *Choe Ryong-hae
*Kim Ki-nam
*Kim Ki-nam
*Choe Thae-bok
*Ri Su-yong
*Kim Phyong-hae
*O Su-yong
*Kwak Pom-gi
*Kim Yong-chol
*Ri Man-gon
*Pak Kwang-ho
*Pak Thae-song
*Thae Jong-su
*Pak Thae-dok
*An Jong-su
*Choe Hwi
*Pak Pong-ju
*Ri Il-hwan
*Kim Hyong-jun
*Ri Pyong-chol
*Kim Tok-hun
*Kim Jae-ryong
- **term start4**: 9 May 2016
- **term end4**: 10 January 2021
- **predecessor4**: Himself (as First Secretary)
- **successor4**: Himself (as General Secretary)
- **office5**: First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
- **1blankname5**: Secretary
- **1namedata5**: *Kim Ki-nam
*Choe Thae-bok
*Mun Kyong-dok
*Pak To-chun
*Kim Yong-il
*Kim Yang-gon
*Kim Phyong-hae
*Thae Jong-su
*Hong Sok-yong
*Kim Kyong-hui
*Kwak Pom-gi
*Kang Sok-ju
*O Su-yong
- **term start5**: 11 April 2012
- **term end5**: 9 May 2016
- **predecessor5**: Kim Jong-il (as General Secretary)
- **successor5**: Himself (as Chairman)
- **office6**: First Chairman of the National Defense Commission
- **1blankname6**: Vice Chairman
- **1namedata6**: *Kim Yong-chun
*Ri Yong-mu
*O Kuk-ryol
*Jang Song-thaek
*Choe Ryong-hae
*Hwang Pyong-so
- **term start6**: 13 April 2012
- **term end6**: 29 June 2016
- **predecessor6**: Kim Jong-il (as Chairman)
- **successor6**: Himself (as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission)
- **birth place**: Pyongyang, North Korea
- **party**: Workers' Party of Korea
- **children**: 3 (alleged)
- **parents**: *Kim Jong-il
*Ko Yong-hui
- **relatives**: Kim family
- **alma mater**: *Kim Il-sung University
*Kim Il-sung Military University
- **allegiance**: North Korea
- **branch**: Korean People's Army
- **serviceyears**: 2010–present
- **rank**:
Marshal
- **signature**: Kim Jong-un Signature.svg
- **footnotes**: ----

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**List of leaders of North Korea, Leader of the Democratic People's
 Republic of Korea**