Kim Jong Un--North Korea Leader

• Born: 8 January 1983 (8 January 1984)
• 1991-92: Traveled to People’s Republic of China (PRC), Japan
• 1994: Traveled to Europe
• 1996-2001: Studied in Berne, Switzerland
• 2002-2006: Studied at Kim Il-so’ng Military University
• 2007: Active in central leadership organizations
• 2010: Promoted, General, KPA
• 2010: Elected, Member, Party Central Committee
• 2010: Elected, Vice Chairman, Party Central Military Commission

Kim Cho’ng-u’n (Kim Jong Un or Kim Jong-un) is the hereditary successor and youngest son of Kim Cho’ng-il. Cho’ng-u’n currently serves as a vice chairman of the Korean Worker’s Party (KWP) Central Military Commission (CMC) and is a general in the Korean People’s Army (KPA). His identity was publicized in September 2010.

Kim was born in January in 1983 or 1984. By most accounts, he is the second child fathered by Kim Cho’ng-il with his 4th common-law wife, Ko Yo’ng-hu’i. He is Kim Cho’ng-il’s 3rd and youngest son. He has an older brother, Kim Cho’ng-ch’o’l (born September 1981), and a younger sister, Kim Yo’-cho’ng (born 1989). He received his elementary education in DPRK schools. According to two accounts, Kim Cho’ng-u’n started to travel outside the DPRK in 1992 when his mother and aunt took him (and possibly his siblings) on trips to Japan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Kim Cho’ng-u’n studied in Switzerland, including at the International School of Berne, in the 1990s, along with his siblings. Cho’ng-u’n was registered for school from around 1996 to 2000, possibly under the alias Pak U’n. Many accounts say that he was a quiet student, in contrast to his extroverted brother, Cho’ng-ch’o’l, and spent most of his time at home. According to one account Cho’ng-u’n initially experienced trouble comprehending German and was held back two grade levels. By the time he moved back to the DPRK in 2000 or 2001, Cho’ng-u’n had completed most of his secondary education and in addition to Korean could speak German, English and French.

According to several sources, upon his return to the DPRK, Cho’ng-u’n was enrolled at Kim Il-so’ng Military University (KISMU), where he joined his older brother. They were placed at KISMU to be educated in the “chuch’e art of command.” The brothers’ military education was allegedly instigated by their mother Ko Yo’ng-hu’i. Cho’ng-un studied at KISMU until April 2007. One account says that Cho’ng-u’n and Cho’ng-ch’o’l began to attend Kim Cho’ng-il’s field inspections and other domestic visits around 2007.

Accounts differ on Kim Cho’ng-u’n’s job placement within the regime. Some in the ROK P’yongyang watching community have claimed that he has worked in the Central Committee (CC) of the KWP Organization Guidance Department (OGD). Other reports and sources have said he was an officer assigned to the Korean People’s Army (KPA) or held a position in the KPA General Political Department (GPD). Open source reporting in 2009 and 2010 alleged that Kim Cho’ng-u’n worked in the Ministry of State Security (also called the State Security Department) with some responsibilities in OGD.

Kim Cho’ng-u’n increased his presence in 2009. In May that year he posed for a commemorative photograph with his two siblings and CC KWP Secretary Kim Ki-nam, while they attended Kim Cho’ng-il’s visit to the Wo’nsan University of Agriculture. In August of the same year Cho’ng-u’n’s support staff was reportedly created.