Kim Jong-un‘s name is trending online again after rumors of his alleged death began spreading. The posts, which multiplied within hours, claim the North Korean leader has died, prompting authorities in the Asian country to respond. Here is what they said.
Is Kim Jong-un Still Alive?
The claim that Kim Jong-un had died originated in an article by the British newspaper The Sun, which reported that the leader had suffered a brain hemorrhage and was being treated at a hospital in China. The story was picked up by accounts and news sites in several countries, which amplified the rumor’s reach.
Hours later, the North Korean government released images of the leader touring an exhibition of textiles and footwear from the light industry sector. The photos were published as a direct response to the reports abroad.
Still, the move only fueled more doubts, as there is a similar precedent in Latin America. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez spent nearly two months out of public view while battling cancer. On February 15, 2013, his government released photos showing him with his two daughters and a copy of the Cuban newspaper Granma, presented as proof that he was alive. On March 5, less than a month after those images, authorities announced his death.
Who Would Take Power if Kim Jong-un Dies?
Reports on a possible succession point to two members of the leader’s family. The first is his sister, Kim Yo-jong, 39. She heads a department of the Workers’ Party and is among the most influential figures in the government, widely regarded as the de facto second-in-command.
The second is his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, whose possible role as heir has been discussed for several years. She has appeared alongside her father at official events, including the unveiling of new nuclear weapons, and has featured on the country’s postage stamps since February 2023. To date, the North Korean government has not officially announced who would succeed Kim Jong-un.
Who Is Kim Jong-un?
Kim Jong-un is the supreme leader of North Korea and the third generation of the Kim family to hold power, following his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, and his father, Kim Jong-il. He was born in Pyongyang, though his date of birth has never been officially confirmed. Sources place it between 1982 and 1984, with January 8, 1984, the most frequently cited. He is the son of Kim Jong-il and Ko Yong-hui, a dancer born in Japan.
According to accounts from defectors, he studied in Switzerland in the mid-1990s under an assumed name and returned to North Korea around 2000. From 2002 to 2007, he attended the Kim Il-sung Military University. In 2010, he was named a four-star general and vice chairman of the Workers’ Party Central Military Commission.
After his father’s death on December 17, 2011, he was proclaimed supreme leader. In 2012, he became first secretary of the party, in 2016 chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and in 2021 general secretary.
In 2013, his uncle Jang Song-thaek was executed on charges of treason, and in 2017 his half-brother Kim Jong-nam was killed by poisoning in Malaysia. Under his rule, the country has carried out nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, drawing UN sanctions.
In 2018, he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore. In 2024, he signed a mutual defense treaty with Russia. He is married to Ri Sol-ju and has at least two children, including Kim Ju-ae.
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Rumors spreading rapidly claim that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has died after being hospitalized in China Read More