Born in 1984, Kim Jong-un’s 40th birthday is kept private… The reason is not revealed
Expert: “My biological mother was born in Japan. I’m afraid that if I draw attention to it, it will harm my lineage.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who recently turned 40, had a quiet birthday.
According to the BBC on the 9th (local time), Chairman Kim celebrated his 40th birthday on the 8th. North Korean authorities have not officially announced Chairman Kim’s birthday.
There is no clear evidence that January 8th is Chairman Kim’s birthday. However, in January 2020, former President Trump delivered a birthday message to Chairman Kim, and on January 8, 2014, athlete Dennis Rodman sang a song celebrating Chairman Kim’s birthday at a Pyongyang gymnasium.
On the 8th, North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun reported a photo of Chairman Kim visiting the Gwangcheon Chicken Factory (poultry farm) with his daughter Kim Joo-ae.
The authorities did not reveal why Chairman Kim’s birthday was kept secret. This is in contrast to the birthdays of his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung, which are national holidays.
Kwak Gil-seop, CEO of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korea, said in an interview with the BBC, “There are probably several reasons, including the fact that Kim Jong-un’s biological mother, Ko Yong-hee, was born in Japan.”
Ko Yong-hee is a Korean-Japanese born in Osaka, Japan. Also, Mr. Ko’s hometown is Jeju Island. The grave of Go’s father, Go Gyeong-taek, is located in Jocheon-eup, Jeju Island.
In addition, Mr. Hyeon, who claims that Mr. Go’s mother is his aunt-in-law, said in an interview with The Fact in 2018, “Mr. Go was born in Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do,” but this has not been confirmed.
The BBC analyzed, “North Korea has a deep distrust of Japan, and if this fact is revealed, Kim Jong-un’s justification for the ‘Baekdu bloodline’ could be weakened, so they are trying to avoid attracting unwanted attention.”
Representative Kwak added, “Chairman Kim may be trying to maintain the image of a ‘humble leader,’” and that there could be many other reasons.
The media reported that some experts cited Kim Jong-un’s young age as the reason. Chairman Kim is 40 years old, but compared to the ages of North Korean leaders, he is young.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.