North Korea or Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern part of the Korean peninsula. It was established in 7th century BC. It is separated from South Korea by the DMZ. North Korea is headed by the supreme leader. Most political powers lie in the hands of the supreme leader. President and ministers assist the leader in smooth functioning of the country. Presently, North Korea is headed by Kim Jong-un. In this article, we will elaborate the differences between Kim Jong-un, Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Jong-nam.

Kim Jong-un vs Choe Ryong-hae vs Kim Jong-nam

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un is a North Korean politician. He is serving as the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011. He is third in line of succession after his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim II-sung. He is the leader of the Worker’s Party of Korea since 2012. Kim Jong-un is called as the “Marshal of the Republic’.

Choe Ryong-hae

Choe Ryong-hae is a North Korean politician and military official. He has served as President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. He became the vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission in April 2019.He is also Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He is military second-in-command to Supreme leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim Jong-nam

Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Date of birth and nationality

There are different views on the date of birth of Kim Jong-un. According to North Korean records, Kim Jong-un was born on 8 January 1982 in Pyongyang, North Korea. He is 38 years old now.

Choe Ryong-hae was born on 15 January 1950 in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. He is 70 years old now.

Kim Jong-nam was born on 10 May 1971 and died on 13 February 2017 at the age of 45 years. He was born in Pyongyang, North Korea. He was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia by his half brother and the supreme leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un.

Political party and career

Kim Jong-un is the leader of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He joined office as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission in 2012. He also remained the First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea from 11 April 2012 to 9 May 2016. He assumed his office as 3rd Supreme Leader of North Korea on 17 December 2011.

Choe Ryong-hae is the Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He served as the Director of General Political Bureau of Korean People’s Army from 2012 to 2014. He was the Vice Chairman of National Defence Commission from 9 April 2014 to 25 September 2014. He became the first Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission in 2019.

Kim Jong-nam was the first child of then ruler Kim II-sung. He was the apparent heir of Kim dynasty from 1998-2001. But the Tokyo Disneyland incident of 2001 resulted in loss of favour. He was sent for exile in 2003.

Role in government

Kim Jong-un is a part of a triumvirate that heads the executive branch of the North Korean government. He has introduced a set of comprehensive economic measures in North Korea. It was introduced in 2013 and is called “Socialist Corporate Responsible Management System”.

Presently, Choe Ryong-hae is the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is the highest institution of state power in North Korea. He is considered the de facto head of state of North Korea. He is responsible for representing the state. He is the link between North Korea and foreign diplomatic representatives.

Kim Jong-nam was appointed in the Ministry of Public Security of North Korea. He was the head of North Korean Computer Committee. His work was to develop an information technology industry.

Education

Kim Jong-un is the second child among three children. Kim Jong-un attended the Liebefeld Steinholzli state school in Koniz near Bern from 1998-2000. He attended school under the name ‘Pak-un’ as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy. He was a well-integrated and ambitious student. He liked to play basketball. He attended Kim II-sung University from 2002 to 2007. He obtained two degrees: one in Physics and another as an Army officer.

Choe Ryong-hae was born in Sinchon County, South Hwanghae Province. His father, Choe Hyon, was defence minister of North Korea. Choe Ryong-hae joined Korean People’s Army in 1967. He graduated from the Kim II-sung University. He is an expert in politics and economics.

Kim Jong-nam was kept out of school because Kim II-sung wanted to keep his affair with Song Hye-rim a secret. So, Kim Jong-nam lived with his mother’s sister and received basic education from her. Later, he went to visit his grandmother and studied at international schools in Russia and Switzerland. He returned to North Korea in 1988. He was hot-tempered and sensitive. He wrote scripts and short films from a young age.

Personal life and marriage

Kim Jong-un had an elder brother named and a younger sister named Kim Yo-jong. Kim Jong-un married Ri Sol-ju on 25 July 2012.

Choe Ryong-hae married Kang Kyoung-sil. Their second son, Choe Song, married Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong.

Kim Jong-nam was the son of Kim Jong-il and Song Hye-rim. He was the half-brother of Kim Jong-un. He married Shin Jong-hui and Lee Hye-kyong. He had 6 children from them.

In news

Kim Jong-un remains in headlines for various reasons. Recently, he faked his death to expose traitors in his circle.

Choe Ryong-hae attended the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (started in 2011) in Azerbaijan in October 2019. In another news, Choe Ryong-hae urged the United States to drop its hostile policy towards Pyongyang before seeking denuclearization talks.

In 2001, Kim Jong-nam made a failed attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland with a false passport. This is thought to be the reason of his falling out of favour as he embarrassed the regime. Kim Jong-nam was exiled from North Korea circa 2003. He was a critic of his family’s regime.

Conclusion

North Korea has been a mystery for the entire world. For many years it is headed by leaders from the Kim dynasty. Faith is the foundation for all political relations in North Korea. It is a revolutionary and socialist state guided by the Juche and Songun idea. The leader and his ministers are in complete harmony for the smooth functioning of the country. What do you think?