Jong-un Kim
Born on the 8th of January 1984 in Pyongyang, North Korea, he was the grandson of Kim
Il-Sung and the son of Kim Jong-il and Ko Yong-Hui.
Family
The grandfather of the current supreme leader was Kim Il-Sung (김일성). He was the
indirect founder of the current North Korea after the Korean war and the creator of their
ideology called “Juche(주체)”, roughly translated to ‘Self-reliance’. Juche is described by the
North Korean Government as ‘Kim Il-sung's original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to
national and international thought’
The father of Jong-un was Kim Jong-Il (김종일). He was born in the Russian Soviet
Republic, with his name being a Russian name; Yuri Irsenovich Kim. He was the successor
of his dad, Il-Sung
The mother of Jong-un is Ko Yong-hui (고용희). She was born in Osaka, Japan, and died in
Paris, France. Not a lot is known about her, everything about her became a state's secret
after Jong-il passed away. The reasoning for this is because Yong-hui’s dad worked in a
sewing factory for the Imperial Japanese Army which gave her the ‘lowest imaginable status
qualities’. They tried to idolize her through propaganda, but all the attempts were
unsuccessful. The propaganda eventually stopped after her husband’s stroke in 2008.
His elder brother is Kim Jong-Cheol (김종철), his younger sister is Kim Yo-Jong (김요종), his
wife is Ri Sol-Ju and his daughter is Kim Ju-Ae.
Early Life
Jong-un attended Liebefeld Stein Holzi state school in a city near Berne, Switzerland under
the fake name of Pak-Un (박운). People could not know that he was the son of the then
supreme leader, so they changed his personal information for safety matters.
He was described as a shy boy that was awkward around girls and did not have any
opinions about politics. Jong-un was obsessed with computers and was a big basketball fan,
he especially liked the American National team and Micheal Jordan. Even though all the
measures that were taken to assure Jong-un was safe in Switzerland, one classmate told
reporters that Jong-un once told him that he was the son of the North Korean Leader.
Succession
The person that actually was next in line to succession was Kim Jong-Nam (김종남),
Jong-un’s half brother. That did not happen due to his attempt to enter Japan with a fake
passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Jong-Nam was later killed in Malaysia, by suspected
North Korean agents.
Jong-un was favoured over his older brother Jong-chul because he was so called too
feminime in character while Jong-un is exactly like his father. In January of 2009 South
Korean news confirmed that Jong-Un was the successor of Jong-Il.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lollol8. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.39. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.