Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un, born on January eighth, nineteen eighty-four, is a prominent North Korean politician and dictator who has held the title of supreme leader since two thousand eleven, following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. As the third ruler from the Kim dynasty, which was established by his grandfather Kim Il Sung, Kim has consolidated significant power, serving as general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs Commission, alongside commanding the North Korean military.

The second child of Kim Jong Il and his mistress Ko Yong Hui, Kim's education began at the International School of Berne in Switzerland before he attended Kim Il Sung University from two thousand two to two thousand seven. By two thousand nine, he was recognized as the likely successor to North Korean leadership. After his father's passing, state media heralded him as the 'great successor to the revolutionary cause,' and he quickly ascended to various leadership roles, including a position on the Presidium of the WPK Politburo.

In July two thousand twelve, Kim was elevated to the rank of marshal in the Korean People's Army, further solidifying his authority as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. His rule has perpetuated the Kim family cult of personality, with state media often referring to him as 'Respected Comrade' or 'Marshal.' However, his government has faced serious allegations of human rights abuses, including the purge and execution of officials and the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in two thousand seventeen.

Kim's leadership has seen a shift from his father's military-first Songun policy to a professed 'people-first policy' and a renewed commitment to communism. He has revived the pyŏngjin policy, focusing on the parallel development of North Korea's economy and military, particularly its nuclear weapons program. Under his command, North Korea conducted several nuclear tests and missile launches, escalating tensions with South Korea, the United States, and China, leading to the North Korea crisis of two thousand seventeen to two thousand eighteen.

In two thousand eighteen and nineteen, Kim engaged in historic summits with leaders including Xi Jinping, Moon Jae-in, and Donald Trump, marking the first meetings between a North Korean and a U.S. head of state. Despite initial optimism, negotiations ultimately stalled without progress on nuclear disarmament or Korean reunification. In December two thousand twenty-three, Kim announced the formal abandonment of reunification efforts, symbolically demolishing the Arch of Reunification. By June two thousand twenty-four, he signed a security treaty with Russia, providing support for the Russo-Ukrainian war, and in October, North Korean soldiers were deployed to assist Russian forces in the Kursk campaign.