North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un Celebrates 42nd Birthday 0 25

Today marks the 42nd birthday of Kim Jong Un — an international-level politician and the head of North Korea. The media associates the president's name with grand military parades, statues of leaders, missile launches, weapons of mass destruction, and "Asian Stalinism," which terrifies world leaders.

The biography of Kim Jong Un is shrouded in mystery. According to official information, the leader of North Korea was born on January 8, 1982, in Pyongyang, but intelligence sources claim that Jong Un is a couple of years younger and was born no earlier than 1984. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the dates of the head of state's birth, nothing is known about his zodiac sign.

The future politician's parents were North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and the ruler's favorite — ballerina Ko Yong-hui. Jong Un became the second potential heir of his father — the firstborn of Jong Il was Jong Nam, who was born to actress Song Hye-rim, just like Jong Un's mother, who was not officially married to the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim Jong Un's education, like his childhood, is reliably hidden from society. It is known that at an early age, Jong Un studied at an international school in Switzerland, but the school's administration insists that the North Korean leader never set foot in that school. According to South Korean intelligence services, Jong Un received knowledge individually at home during his childhood and did not obtain a diploma from any European university.

Kim Jong Un appeared on the political horizon of North Korea in 2008 when rumors circulated about the terminal illness of his father, Jong Il, who was leading the country at that time. At that time, the throne was predicted for the advisor to the North Korean leader, Jang Song-thaek, who effectively held the governing apparatus of North Korea and was a relative of Kim Jong Il.

However, everything turned out differently — thanks to his mother, who in 2003 convinced the entire leadership of the republic that Jong Un was the favorite son of his father and his only successor, in 2009 he became the leader in the race for the post of the leader of North Korea.

Shortly before his father's death, Kim Jong Un was awarded the title of "Brilliant Comrade" and was appointed head of the North Korean State Security Service. On November 24, 2011, he was officially proclaimed the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, and a few days later he was elected chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

For the first time after his appointment as the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un appeared in public only in April 2012 during a parade dedicated to the centenary of his grandfather Kim Il Sung.

The policies of the youngest North Korean leader, who came to power at the age of 26, are characterized by uncompromisingness.

Kim Jong Un is not distinguished by particular humanity in the internal politics of North Korea. During his rule, he executed more than 70 people, which became a record among all the rulers of the country. Accusations of corruption often served as a reason for executions. Some foreign media even admire Kim Jong Un's policies, urging their own governments to effectively combat such phenomena.

Among those sentenced to death is even his uncle, whom the young leader accused of treason and plotting a coup. The North Korean leader also dealt with the accomplices of the "traitors of the homeland," including Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol.

At the same time, Kim Jong Un is actively engaged in reforms in North Korea, in which he has achieved considerable success. His achievements include the closure of political prisoner camps, changes to the so-called serfdom, allowing people to create agricultural production units from several families rather than entire collective farms, and giving the leader only a portion of their harvest instead of the entire yield, as was previously the case.

Kim Jong Un has decentralized industry in North Korea, granting directors of enterprises "many" powers. From now on, managers can hire their own staff, set salaries, and choose the direction for selling their products.

The North Korean leader has managed to maintain friendly relations with China, which is North Korea's main trading partner.

As a result of Kim Jong Un's reforms, the standard of living for citizens has increased, new technologies have begun to be implemented, and the country's economy has developed.

Several books have been dedicated to the leader of North Korea: "The Kim Jong Il Movie Company Presents" by Paul Fischer and "Welcome to Pyongyang! Kim Jong Un and the New Life of the World's Most Closed Country" by Travis Jeppesen.

Another important aspect of the North Korean leader's life has been the creation of powerful nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un regularly challenges the entire world, proving his power and continuing his father's work on developing the country's nuclear potential in defiance of all UN Security Council resolutions.

The most notable actions during his rule include North Korea's entry into the "club of space powers" in 2012, conducting the third nuclear test in North Korea's history in 2013, and launching an artificial satellite into Earth's orbit.