Kim Jong-un is the supreme leader of the ironically named Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). He is the son of Kim Jong-il (1941-2011) and the grandson of Kim Il-sung (1912-1994). He was officially declared the supreme leader following the state funeral for his father on December 28, 2011. He is the third and youngest son of Kim Jong-il and his consort Ko Yong-hui. From late 2010, Kim Jong-un was viewed as heir apparent to the leadership of the nation, and following his father’s death, he was announced as the “Great Successor” by North Korean state television. Kim was born on January 8, 1983. At 32 years of age, he is the first North Korean leader born after the country’s founding and the world’s youngest head of state.
P.S. Kim was recently lampooned in Sony’s controversial political satire The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists instructed to assassinate the North Korean dictator. Last year on this day “basketball diplomat” Dennis Rodman sang “Happy Birthday” to Kim. (Dennis Rodman and Kim are apparently buddies.) This video history of North Korea is interesting: “Why Korea Split Into North and South Korea.” And it’s been said on Tumblr that Kim Jong-un would really hate for you to watch this, which is exactly why you should: Yeonmi Park tells her story of life in North Korea and calls for action against such human rights violators.
