 On January 7, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a newly constructed chicken factory in Kwangcheon, as North Korean Central Television reported on January 8. He was accompanied by his daughter, Ju Ae, Prime Minister Kim Dok-hun, Party Deputy Director Kim Yo-jong, and Deputy Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, Hyon Song-wol, among other officials. Photo= North Korean Central TV Screen (Only available for use in South Korea, redistribution prohibited) |
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is presumed to have celebrated his 40th birthday on January 8, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) highlighted on January 9 (local time) why North Korean authorities did not disclose Kim’s birthday and age.
Although Kim Jong Un is known to have been born on January 8, 1984, this has not been officially confirmed.
However, the BBC reported that January 8 is his birthday, based on evidence such as a birthday message sent to Kim by then-U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2020 and a birthday song sung to Kim by former NBA player Dennis Rodman in January 2014.
Unlike the birthdays of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, which North Korea celebrates as the Day of the Sun (April 15) and the Day of the Shining Star (February 16), there has been no mention of Kim Jong Un’s birthday in state-run media or any commemorative events.
North Korean media outlets such as North Korean Central Television and North Korean Central News Agency reported only that Kim inspected a chicken factory in Hwangju County, North Hwanghae Province, with his daughter Ju-ae on January 7 and did not mention Kim’s birthday.
The BBC speculated that the reason why North Korean authorities avoid mentioning Kim’s birthday is to downplay his relatively young age and his mother’s origins as a Korean resident in Japan.
According to the BBC, North Korea expert Kwak Gil Seob, head of the One Korea Center, suggested that the fact that Kim’s mother, Ko Yong Hui, was born in Japan is one reason why North Korean authorities maintain quiet about Kim’s birthday.
Speaking to the BBC, Kwak pointed out that “the truth about Kim Jong Un’s birth is his vulnerability.”
Kwak also suggested that there might be various other reasons, like an attempt to portray himself as a “humble leader.”
The BBC noted that Kim’s birthdate is not widely publicized because he is considered relatively young compared to the aging North Korean ruling elite.
By. Seung Yeon
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