Is it Kim Jong-un’s birthday? Here’s why there’s so much mystery surrounding his age

Kim Jong-un is renowned for being a terrifying despot who rules with an iron fist. He is rumoured to have killed a general by tossing him into a fish tank full of piranhas, and to have executed his own uncle by feeding him to dogs. His family members attract equal amounts of attention, as his daughter is thought to be in training to take over as North Korea’s leader and his sister has been dubbed the most dangerous woman in the world.

Today, January 8, is said to be Kim Jong-un’s birthday. Yet, unlike his predecessors, he has never declared it as such. Here’s why so much mystery surrounds his age and date of birth.

Mystery surrounding Kim Jong-un’s birthday

It is believed that the North Korean leader turns 40 today, as the US government lists his birth year as 1984, but neither he nor his country have ever disclosed his age. This is in keeping with his general secrecy about all things private, but it is at odds with a tradition in North Korea concerning its leaders.

According to Reuters:

The closest North Korea has come to confirming the date came in January 2020 after authorities acknowledged Kim had received birthday greetings from then-U.S. President Donald Trump, though they did not mention the exact date.

However, Kim Jong-un’s father and grandfather have had their birthdays recognised as national holidays in the authoritarian state.

2024 calendars miss out Kim Jong-un’s birthday

This year, state news agency KCNA showed images of Kim visiting a chicken farm with his daughter, which could be read as a birthday outing but is certainly far from an official announcement. Similarly, calendars secured by Daily NK that are meant to promote North Korea’s regime do not mark 8 January as a significant date. The publication secured three different calendars, each published by North Korea’s Foreign Languages Publishing House.

The birthdays of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung (April 15) and Kim Jong Il (February 16) are marked with thick red borders. Meanwhile, the 8 January remains blank. Kim Jong-un has been in power for 10 years, and it looks like we’ll need to wait for at least one more before we get any confirmation regarding his date of birth or age.

Read more:

⋙ Kim Jong-un urges North Korean mothers to have more children in a bid to 'strengthen national power'

⋙ Kim Jong-un: The North Korean leader prepares ‘to fight a war’ with his daughter in tow

⋙ North Korea: Kim Jong-un’s rare admission of weakness

Sources used:

Reuters: North Korea's Kim Jong Un turns 40. Maybe.

Daily NK: Kim Jong Un’s birthday still unmentioned in N. Korea’s 2024 calendars