Kim Jong Un became the third Supreme Leader of North Korea in 2011, and has been chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea since 2012. Kim succeeded his father, Kim Jong-Il, as North Korea’s leader after his death in 2011. The elder Kim ruled as a dictator from 1994 until his death. Kim is the grandson of Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, who led the country from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. Kim rules a dictatorship, where elections are not free, regime critics are punished, and media is controlled by the government. There is no freedom of religion, and anyone who attempts to defect from the country is persecuted. Speculation that Kim was in “grave danger” began in April 2020, when it was reported that he allegedly underwent cardiovascular surgery, and missed the celebrations honoring his grandfather on April 15.
Here, Kim Jong Un is seen looking stern at an emergency meeting to discuss disaster prevention efforts against Typhoon Lingling, in September 2019. To see more photos of Kim Jong Un, scroll through this gallery.
