Jakarta –
Despite being the supreme leader of North Korea, facts about Kim Jong Un’s life are still shrouded in mystery, starting from his date of birth, the background of his wife and the children he has.
Kim Jong Un’s 40th birthday is widely believed to be January 8, but many doubt that is his actual birth date.
And this isn’t the only mystery about Kim. Here are five unanswered questions about the North Korean dictator who came to power in 2011.
1. When was Kim Jong Un born?
We don’t know for sure yet.
“There is a lot of debate about the year he was born, whether it was 1982, 1983 or 1984,” Dr Edward Howell, a lecturer in Politics at Oxford University, told the BBC.
His birthday, which falls on January 8, is a normal working day in the Communist country, while the birthday of his father, Kim Jong Il, is celebrated on February 16 every year as Shining Star Day.
His grandfather Kim Il Sung’s birthday on April 15 is also celebrated as the Day of the Sun.
However, many details of his extended family are shrouded in mystery.
North Korea expert Dr Howell said that we know Kim had half-brothers, one of whom was Kim Jong Nam who was assassinated in Malaysia in 2017.
Kim Jong Un’s father is thought to have had at least four different partners – but most of his relationships are unknown to the public.
His mother, Ko Young Hui, is thought to have been born in Japan. She came to North Korea in the 1960s to work as a dancer.
She was said to be the favorite concubine of all Kim Jong Il’s empresses.
In 2018, a photo of Ko Young Hui was discovered which was taken when he visited Japan in 1973.
The Korea Times reported that North Korea has not publicized much about Ko because of her career as a dancer and her family background with ties to Japan.
“Being born in Japan, which occupied the Korean peninsula during the Second World War, would normally relegate someone to a lower social class. But because she was married to Kim Jong Il, she had a luxurious lifestyle,” said Dr Howell.
2. Who is Kim Jong Un’s wife?
News reports suggest that Kim may have first met Ri Sol Ju at a music performance (Getty Images)
Again, we don’t know for sure.
We know he has a wife, Ri Sol Ju, but we are not sure when they married (there is speculation that this may have been in 2009).
Little is known about “Comrade Ri Sol Ju”, perhaps she is a former singer who caught Mr Kim’s attention while performing?
There is a North Korean artist with the same name, but it has never been officially confirmed that they are the same person.
One lawmaker, citing intelligence officials, said they believed Ri Sol Ju visited South Korea in 2005 as part of the North Korean cheerleading team for the Asian Athletics Championships, and had studied singing in China.
North Korea has not provided any details about the woman other than to say she is Kim’s wife.
3. How many children does Kim Jong Un have?
Here we have family details that are hard to pin down.
Speculation that Ri Sol Ju was pregnant began in 2016 after she disappeared from public view, but has never been officially confirmed.
The two previous children are believed to have been born in 2010 and 2013, but it is not known whether any of them are male and could potentially be his successors. In fact, we know little about them.
The North Korean leader first appeared with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, when the girl was about 10 years old.
This daughter, who is believed to be the second oldest child, is one of the children we know best. She will appear at least five times in public in 2023.
Kim Jong Un appears in public with Kim Ju Ae, but he also has other children and very little is known about them (Reuters)
“We still don’t know the full story of his children,” Dr Howell explains, reminding us that it was former US basketball star Dennis Rodman, possibly a close friend of Kim Jong Un, who revealed his daughter’s name in a 2013 interview.
“He has other children but very little is known about them. We don’t know who their mother is,” the North Korea expert added.
Contrary to many analysts (and also South Korean spy agencies), Dr Howell does not believe that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed to be the next leader.
He is still young, and Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, has more experience and better connections to the elite, which may make her a contender to succeed her brother.
“The North Korean leader is seen with his daughter at missile launches, banquets or football matches because he wants to be seen as a family man and a benevolent leader,” Dr Howell believes.
4. How can Kim Jong Un live in luxury if his country is so poor?
North Korea and its leader have faced harsh sanctions imposed by the UN and Western countries for years due to its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
But Dr Howell said that Kim Jong Un was doing everything he could to avoid sanctions.
“The country has certain funds that are specifically designed for use by the regime. Kim wants to keep these funds because he wants him and his family to still have a luxurious lifestyle.”
Kim Jong Un is often seen using luxury vehicles (Getty Images)
There is a network of countries around the world willing to give money to North Korea, Dr Howell said, and there are suggestions that the country could also get funds in other ways.
“People often think that North Korea is an isolated country that doesn’t have the internet.
“The country has a state-run internet, and cyber warfare has become an important strategy: the Kim regime hacks other countries’ computer systems to steal money to run its economy and nuclear program,” stressed Dr Howell.
5. Does Kim Jong Un care about his people?
A speech at a military parade in 2020 showed us a different side of Kim Jong Un.
He thanked his troops for their efforts against the recent pandemic and natural disasters.
On one occasion, he wiped away tears while talking about his country’s struggles. It was a rare display of emotion by a North Korean leader.
Some observers suggest he may be trying to show humility even as his country faces a deepening economic crisis.
However, if we observe the North Korean leader’s luxurious lifestyle, it shows otherwise.
Critics say Kim Jong Un’s lifestyle is at odds with his public persona (Reuters)
Kim Jong Un continues the tradition of long-distance travel in luxury trains started by Kim II Sung – his grandfather.
A Russian military commander who accompanied Kim Jong Il on the 2001 trip spoke of the luxury of the trip in his memoir Orient Express.
“It is possible to order any dishes from Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine,” he wrote.
Live lobsters and prestigious Bordeaux and Burgundy wines were also flown in from Paris.
This and other forms of luxury transportation including private planes stand in stark contrast to the impoverished lifestyle of the North Korean people.
North Koreans told the BBC that food was so scarce that their neighbors were starving to death. Experts say the situation is the worst since the 1990s.
What does this reveal about Kim’s priorities?
“He just wants to defend his regime and its oppressive and tyrannical leadership. He doesn’t seem to care about the 26 million people in his country,” Dr Howell said.
“Does he think this is a viable strategy going forward?”
Also watch the video: Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un’s daughter who is in the spotlight of South Korean spies
(ita/ita)
2024-01-08 03:18:06
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