Profile: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un - BBC News

He also did what no previous North Korean leader could - which was to bring a sitting American president to the negotiating table. Mediacaption,WhoisNorthKorea'sleaderKimJong-un?WhenKimJong-untookcontrolofNorthKoreaatjust27,theworldknewverylittleabouthim-butastate-sanctionedpersonalitycultwasabouttoswingintoaction.TheyoungleaderwasbornintoamythologythattaughtthenationtheKimswereasemi-divinedynastywhohadacloseaffinitywiththenear-sacredMountPaektuthatsitsontheKorean-Chineseborder.Bythatlogic,theyoungKimwouldbenaturallyendowedwithheroicqualitiesandpreternaturalstrength.Infactwhenhewasannouncedastheleaderin2011,thepronouncementmadeclearthathe"inheritstheideology,leadership,courageandaudacityof[hisfather]ComradeKimJong-il".Audacitywasnotaninappropriatewordtouse:withinfiveyearshehadexecutedhisuncle,iswidelybelievedtohaveorderedtheassassinationofhishalf-brotherinaKualaLumpurairport,andNorthKoreahad-soitclaimed-developedahydrogenbombthatcouldbemountedinaninter-continentalballisticmissile(ICBM).Thesombre,subduedandroundedfigurethatwasoftenthesubjectofinternationalridiculeinthoseearlydayshasmadeNorthKoreaaveryclearglobalthreatinawayhisfatherKimJong-ilneverdid.HealsodidwhatnopreviousNorthKoreanleadercould-whichwastobringasittingAmericanpresidenttothenegotiatingtable.Imagesource,ReutersImagecaption,KimJong-unhasreceivednumerousofficialtitlessincebecomingNorthKorea'sleaderHehadlittlepoliticalormilitaryexperience,butalmostimmediatelyafterthedeathofhisfather,Kimwashailedas"thegreatsuccessor".Hewasnamedheadoftheparty,stateandarmy,andtookonthemantleofNorthKorea'sSupremeLeader.Hissingle-mindeddevelopmentofNorthKorea'snuclearweaponsprogrammeputhiminapositiontobringNorthKoreaoutofisolationandontotheglobalnegotiatingtable.TheseledtohistorictalkswiththeUSandmovestoimproverelationswithSouth,butdespitesummitsandtalkofdenuclearisation,therehasbeennoprogress.'MorningStarKing'KimJong-un,theyoungestsonofKimJong-ilandhisthirdwifeKoYong-hui,wasbornin1983or1984.Imagesource,AFPImagecaption,TheundatedimageshowsKimJong-unasastudentinSwitzerlandHewasinitiallynotthoughttobeintheframetotakeuphisfather'smantle.Analystsfocusedinsteadonhisolderhalf-brotherKimJong-namandolderfullbrotherKimJong-chol.HoweverKimJong-nam'sdeportationfromJapaninMay2001andKimJong-chol'sreported"unmanliness"improvedhischances.Analystssawhimastheheir-to-beafterhewasawardedaseriesofhigh-profilepoliticalposts.Swiss-educatedlikehisbrothers,KimJong-unavoidedWesterninfluences,returninghomewhennotinschoolanddiningoutwiththeNorthKoreanambassador.NorthKoreacrisisin300wordsIsKimJong-ungettingamediamakeover?AfterhisreturntoPyongyang,heisknowntohaveattendedtheKimIl-sungMilitaryUniversity.HismotherwasthoughttobeKimJong-il'sfavouritewife,andsheclearlydotedonherson,reportedlycallinghimthe"MorningStarKing".InAugust2010,whenKimJong-ilvisitedChina,onereportsaidKimJong-unhadaccompaniedhisfatheronthetrip.Bythenhewaswidelyseenastheheir-apparentandwhenKimJong-ildied,thiswasquicklyconfirmed.Military-firstMrKimmadehisfirstpublicspeechasNorthKoreamarkedthe100thanniversaryofthebirthdayoffounderKimIl-sungon15April2012,praisingthe"militaryfirst"doctrineandvowingthetimehisnationcouldbethreatenedwas"foreverover".Imagesource,KCNAImagecaption,StatemediashowedKimJong-uncelebratingthelaunchofaballisticmissilein2017Imagesource,KCNAImagecaption,FactoryinspectionsarethemainstayoftheNorthKoreanleader'sdomesticmediaappearancesUnderhim,thedevelopmentofNorthKorea'snuclearandmissileprogrammeshascontinuedandappearstohavemaderapidstrides.Fourmorenucleartestshavetakenplace,bringingtheregime'stotaltosix.WhatdidNKorea'snucleartestsachieve?Pyongyangclaimsithassuccessfullytestedaminiaturisedhydrogenbombthatcouldbeloadedontoalong-rangemissile,butexpertsremaindividedonhowadvanceditsprogrammeis.ThereachofNorthKorea'smissilesalsoappearstohaveincreased.In2017theregimetest-firedseveralmissiles,andclaimedithadtestedintercontinentalballisticmissilesthatcouldreachtheUS-leadingtoasurgeintensionswiththeDonaldTrump-ledadministrationandanintensifiedUNsanctionsregime.Astheanimositybetweenthetwosidesrose,MrTrumpandMrKimengagedinanincreasinglyfierywarofwords.Mediacaption,DonaldTrumpandKimJong-un:FromenemiestofrenemiesMrTrumpcalledtheNorthKoreanleadera"rocketmanonasuicidemission"whileMrKimcalledtheUSleadera"mentallyderangedUSdotard".'Dotard'Trump?Thestoryof'rocketman'Kim'sinsultYet,unexpectedly,MrKimofferedanolivebranchtoSeoulinhisnewyear'saddress,sayinghewas"opentodialogue"andmightsendateamtotheFebruary2018WinterOlympicsinSouthKorea.Aflurryofdiplomaticactivityfollowed,withthetwoKoreasmarchingunderoneflagintheOlympicopeningceremony,andhigh-levelmeetingstakingplacebetweenthetwosides.MrKimalsomadehisfirstknownforeigntripasleader,takingatraintoBeijing-NorthKorea'smainallyandtradingpartner.AreNorthandSouthKoreafriendsagain?WhenTrumpmetKimMrKimalsosoughttoimproverelationswithMrTrump,andinApril2018,thetwoleadersheldhistoricface-to-facetalksinSingaporeaimedatthedenuclearisationofNorthKorea.Thefollowingyear,thetwoleaders,joinedbySouthKorea'sMoonJae-in,participatedinanimpromptu-butlargelysymbolic-meetingatthedemilitarisedzone(DMZ)thatseparatesNorthandSouthKorea.Imagesource,ReutersImagecaption,PresidentTrumpisflankedbyMrKim(L)andhisSouthKoreancounterpartMoonJae-in(R)However,relationsbetweentheUSandNorthKorealaterdeteriorated,withasecondTrump-KimsummitinHanoiinMarch2019endingabruptlywithoutanydeal.TalksstalledaftertheTrumpadministrationrefusedtoliftsanctionsuntilPyongyangfullyabandoneditsnuclearprogramme.Then,inJanuary2020,MrKimsaidhewasendingthesuspensionofnuclearandlong-rangemissiletestsputinplaceduringtheUStalks,andthreatenedthat"theworldwillwitnessanewstrategicweapon".InOctoberthatyear,NorthKoreaunveileditsbiggestICBMtodate,andinJanuary2021itshowedoffanewsubmarine-launchedmissilewhichitcalled"theworld'smostpowerfulweapon".MeettheKimsDomestically,MrKim'srepeatedreplacementofdefenceministers-therehavebeenatleastsixmeninthepostsince2011-hasbeenseenbysomeanalystsasanindicationofhislackofconfidenceintheloyaltyofthearmedforces.Themosthigh-profileindicationofapossiblepowerstrugglewithintheNorthKoreanelitecameinDecember2013,whenKimJong-unorderedtheexecutionofhisuncleChangSong-thaek.Statemediasaidhehadbeenplottingacoup.MrKimisalsowidelybelievedtohaveorderedthemurderofhisexiledhalf-brother,KimJong-nam,inFebruary2017atKualaLumpurInternationalAirport.Imagesource,AFPImagecaption,MrKimandMsRiarethoughttohavethreechildrenNotmuchwasknownofMrKim'spersonallifeuntiltelevisionfootageofanunidentifiedwomanattendingeventswithhimsurfaced.InJuly2012,statemediaannouncedthatMrKimwasmarriedto"ComradeRiSol-ju".LittleisknownofMsRi,butherstylishappearanceledsomeanalyststosuggestthatshewasfromanupper-classfamily.ReportshavesuggestedthatMsRimayhavebeenasingerwhocaughtMrKim'sattentionduringaperformance.AccordingtoSouthKoreanintelligence,thecouplehavethreechildren.MeetNorthKorea'sfirstfamilyKim'ssisterandNorthKorea'ssecretweaponImagesource,AFPImagecaption,KimYo-jong,MrKim'ssister,holdsaseniorpostintheWorkers'PartyofKoreaMrKim'ssister,KimYo-jong,holdsaseniorpostintheWorkers'PartyofKorea-andstolethelimelightwhensherepresentedherbrotherattheWinterOlympicsintheSouth.Itisnotknownwhetherhiselderbrother,KimJong-chol,holdsanofficialrole.IllhealthandthequestionofsuccessionInApril2020,rumoursaboutKimJong-un'shealthallegedhemighthaveundergoneaseriousoperationandtherewasuncertaintyabouthisrecovery.ThereportswerebasedonSouthKoreanfringepublicationDailyNKandseemedtobebackedupbythefactthatMrKimhadmissedtheanniversaryofhisgrandfather'sbirthday,thealmostmythicalfounderofNorthKorea,KimIl-sung.Whethertrueornot,theintensespeculationoverthehealthoftheobese36-year-oldrevealacrucialweaknessoftheNorthKoreandynasty.Thequestionofsuccessionhasthepotentialtobringthebrutallyenforcedauthoritarianstructuretothebrinkofdisintegrationeachtimealeaderpassesaway.MrKim'schildrenaresaidtobetooyoungtobeevenconsideredforsuccession.IntheframeworkofNorthKorea'spoliticalmythology,powerislegitimisedbytheMountPaektubloodlinegoingbacktoKimIl-sung.Thefurtherremovedfromthecountryfounderanewgenerationis,thehigherthechanceapowerstrugglebetweenparty,armyandgovernmentcouldescalate.RelatedTopicsKimJong-unNorthKoreaMoreonthisstoryNorthKoreacrisisin300wordsPublished21April2020MeetNorthKorea'sfirstfamilyPublished7February2018IsKimJong-ungettingamediamakeover?Published20April2018TopStoriesLive. GermanytobanunvaccinatedpeoplefromshopsandbarsOmicrondrivesmajorsurgeinSAfricaCovidcasesPublished16minutesagoRussiawarnsofmilitaryconfrontationnightmarePublished3hoursagoFeaturesKashmiriskiertakingIndiatoBeijingOlympicsIslamistsagainstMuhammadcartoonsstagecomebackThestruggletosaveAfghanistan'sstarvingbabiesEpsteinaccusertoBBC:Maxwellamastermanipulator.VideoEpsteinaccusertoBBC:MaxwellamastermanipulatorDraggedupthestairsformyhospitalappointment.VideoDraggedupthestairsformyhospitalappointmentWhenJesusisusedtostealfromhisflockVotersinChilefacetoughchoiceasrun-offloomsWouldyougive10%ofyoursalarytocharity?BBCFuture:ThemedievalDutchsolutiontofloodingElsewhereontheBBC'Autismisapartofwhotheyare'LifewithPaddyMcGuinness,hiswifeChristineandtheirthreechildrenTakeavoyageintothewinternightGentleinstrumentalmusictogetlostin...MostRead1OmicrondrivesmajorsurgeinSAfricaCovidcases2Russiawarnsofmilitaryconfrontationnightmare3ScientistsfindtriggerforrareAstraZenecaclots4IndiareportsfirstOmicroncases5Shockoververdictinjudochampion’sassaultcase6MeghanwinsrulinginMailonSundayprivacyfight7Families'sickened'overNo10Christmasparty8Merkelpickspunksingerforbigfarewellevent9Pfizerboss:AnnualCovidjabsforyearstocome10FacebookuncoversChinanetworkbehindfakeexpert