The Mount Kumgang Tourist Region was a special administrative region of North Korea . It was geographically coterminous with Kumgang County , Kangwon Province . It was established in 2002 to handle South Korean tourist traffic to Mount Kumgang (Diamond Mountain). It was one of the symbols of the South Korean Sunshine Policy . In January 2024, North Korea announced that they would close the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Administration.
120-527: Beginning in 1998, South Korean and other foreign tourists were allowed to visit Mount Kumgang, traveling at first by cruise ship, and then by bus on a newly built road through the Korean Demilitarized Zone . In 2002, the area around the mountain was separated from Kangwon Province and organized as a separately administered Tourist Region, covering 204.6 square miles (530 km). From 1998 to July 2008 over one million South Koreans visited
240-664: A Moranbong Band concert. The concert contained several elements of pop culture from the West , particularly the United States. Kim used this event to introduce his wife to the public, an unprecedented move in North Korea. In the same year, Kim Jong Il's personal chef Kenji Fujimoto visited North Korea and said, "Stores in Pyongyang were brimming with products and people in the streets looked cheerful. North Korea has changed
360-526: A "wall" divided Korea. He said the south side of the wall is packed with soil, which permits access to the top of the wall and makes it effectively invisible from the south side. He also claimed that it served as a bridgehead for any northward invasion. The United States and South Korea deny the wall's existence, although they do claim there are anti-tank barriers along some sections of the DMZ. Dutch journalist and filmmaker Peter Tetteroo also shot footage of
480-771: A Soviet tourist named Vasily Matuzok (sometimes spelled Matusak), who was part of an official trip to the JSA (hosted by the North), ran across the MDL shouting that he wanted to defect to the South. As many as 30 North Korean soldiers pursued him across the border, opening fire. Border guards on the South Korean side returned fire, eventually surrounding the North Koreans. One South Korean and three North Korean soldiers were killed in
600-476: A United Nations Human Rights Council report suggested that Kim could be put on trial for crimes against humanity . According to reports, he has ordered the purge and execution of several North Korean officials including his uncle, Jang Song-thaek , in 2013. He is also widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother , Kim Jong-nam , in Malaysia in 2017. He has presided over an expansion of
720-603: A barrier in 2001 which his North Korean guides said was the Korean Wall. A 2007 Reuters report revealed that there is no coast to coast wall located across the DMZ and that the pictures of a "wall" which have been used in North Korean propaganda have merely been pictures of concrete anti-tank barriers. While 800,000 landmines were being removed in 2018, it was shown that the Joint Security Area along
840-407: A border incident occurred where two South Korean soldiers were wounded after stepping on landmines that had allegedly been laid on the southern side of the DMZ by North Korean forces near an ROK guard post. Both North Korea and South Korea then resumed broadcasting propaganda by loudspeaker. After four days of negotiations, on 25 August 2015 South Korea agreed to discontinue the broadcasts following
960-401: A construction boom in Pyongyang, bringing colour and creative architectural styles to the city. While in the past there was a concentration on building monuments, Kim Jong Un's government has constructed amusement parks, aquatic parks, skating rinks, a dolphinarium and a ski resort. Kim has been actively promoting a consumer culture, including entertainment and cosmetics. He has also overseen
1080-404: A good relationship, stating that he was favored to be his father's successor. Fujimoto also said that Jong Un was favored by his father over his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul, reasoning that Jong Chul is too feminine in character, while Jong Un is "exactly like his father". Furthermore, Fujimoto stated that "if power is to be handed over then Jong Un is the best for it. He has superb physical gifts,
1200-426: A hotchpotch with no national character at all." He also ordered the South Korean facilities to be replaced by "modern facilities". This was criticized by the South Korean government which instead proposed renovating the complex. In January 2020, the North Korean government said that redevelopment of the site was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of late 2022 there were reports based on satellite imagery that
1320-407: A lot since Kim Jong Un assumed power. All of this is because of leader Kim Jong Un." According to analysts, Kim Jong Un has used his resemblance to his grandfather to harness Kim Il Sung's personality cult and popular nostalgia for earlier times. In 2013, Kim copied his grandfather's style when he gave his first New Year's address, a break from the approach of his father, Kim Jong Il, who never made
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#17327726592231440-449: A new government would be. Some analysts had predicted that when Kim Jong Il died, Jang Song Thaek would act as regent , as Kim Jong Un was too inexperienced to immediately lead the country. Following his father's death, Kim Jong Un was hailed as the "great successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche ", "outstanding leader of the party, army and people", and "respected comrade who is identical to Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il", and
1560-514: A newly composed "song of praise" to Kim Jong Un, in a similar fashion to that of praise songs relating to Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung. Later, in June, Kim was reported to have visited China secretly to "present himself" to the Chinese leadership. The Chinese foreign ministry has strongly denied that this visit occurred. In September 2009, it was reported that Kim Jong Il had secured support for
1680-746: A number of buildings for joint meetings called Conference Rooms. The MDL goes through the conference rooms and down the middle of the conference tables where the North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and Americans) meet face to face. Facing the Conference Row buildings are the North Korean Panmungak (English: Panmun Hall ) and the South Korean Freedom House . In 1994, North Korea enlarged Panmungak by adding
1800-548: A rare Workers' Party of Korea conference in Pyongyang, the first time North Korean media had mentioned him by name and despite him having no previous military experience. Despite the promotion, no further details, including verifiable portraits of Kim, were released. On 28 September 2010, he was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and appointed to the Central Committee of
1920-599: A series of skirmishes along the DMZ resulted in the deaths of 81 American , 299 South Korean and 397 North Korean soldiers . This included the Blue House Raid in 1968, an attempt to assassinate South Korea President Park Chung Hee at the Blue House . In 1976, in now-declassified meeting minutes, U.S. deputy secretary of defense William Clements told U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger that there had been 200 raids or incursions into North Korea from
2040-529: A skeleton crew of caretakers in an effort to preserve the illusion of activity. In the 1980s, the South Korean government built a 100 m (328 ft) flag pole in Daeseong-dong, which flies a South Korean flag weighing 130 kg (287 lb). The North Korean government responded by building the 160 m (525 ft) Panmunjeom flagpole in Kijŏng-dong, only 1.2 km (0.7 mi) west of
2160-466: A stamp saying "Embassy of Brazil in Prague". Kim Jong Un's passport records the name "Josef Pwag" and a date of birth of 1 February 1983. For many years, only one confirmed photograph of him was known to exist outside North Korea, apparently taken in the mid-1990s, when he was eleven. Occasionally, other supposed images of him surfaced but were often disputed. It was only in June 2010, shortly before he
2280-562: A statement from North Korea's government expressing regret for the landmine incident. On 8 January 2016, in response to North Korea's supposed successful testing of a hydrogen bomb , South Korea resumed broadcasts directed at the North. On 15 April 2016, it was reported that the South Koreans purchased a new audio system to combat the North's broadcasts. Both North and South Korea have held balloon propaganda leaflet campaigns since
2400-429: A subsequent exploration of this tunnel, US Navy Commander Robert M. Ballinger and ROK Marine Corps Major Kim Hah-chul were killed in the tunnel by a North Korean explosive device. The blast also wounded five Americans and one South Korean from the United Nations Command. The tunnel, which was about 0.9 by 1.2 m (3 by 4 ft), extended more than 1 km (1,100 yd) beyond the MDL into South Korea. The tunnel
2520-402: A televised address during his 17 years in power. He has also appeared more accessible and open than his father, hugging and linking arms with young and old. In his public appearances, he appears more active than his father or grandfather, for example, weeding, riding a horse, driving a tank, riding a rollercoaster, or using information technology. In April 2012, when a satellite launch failed,
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#17327726592232640-725: A third floor. In 1998, South Korea built a new Freedom House for its Red Cross staff and to possibly host reunions of families separated by the Korean War. The new building incorporated the old Freedom House Pagoda within its design. Since 1953 there have been occasional confrontations and skirmishes within the JSA. The axe murder incident in August 1976 involved the attempted trimming of a tree which resulted in two deaths ( Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett). Another incident occurred on 23 November 1984, when
2760-404: A young age. It is thought that Kim's official birth year was changed for symbolic reasons; 1982 marked the seventieth birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, and forty years after the official birth of his father Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un is the second of three children of Ko Yong Hui and Kim Jong Il; his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul , was born in 1981, while his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong ,
2880-493: Is 162 m (531 ft). It is currently the world's sixth largest flagpole. Since demarcation, the DMZ has had numerous cases of incidents and incursions by both sides, although the North Korean government typically never acknowledges direct responsibility for any of these incidents (there are exceptions, such as the axe incident). This was particularly intense during the Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–1969) when
3000-406: Is a big drinker and never admits defeat." Also, according to Fujimoto, Jong Un smokes Yves Saint Laurent cigarettes, loves Johnnie Walker whisky and has a Mercedes-Benz 600 luxury sedan. When Jong Un was 18, Fujimoto described an episode where Jong Un once questioned his lavish lifestyle and asked, "we are here, playing basketball, riding horses, riding jet skis, having fun together. But what of
3120-640: Is believed to have been born in 1987. He is a grandson of Kim Il Sung, who was the founder of and led North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. Kim is the first leader of North Korea to have been born a North Korean citizen, his father having been born in the Soviet Union and his grandfather having been born during the Japanese colonial period . All of Kim Jong Il's children are said to have lived in Switzerland , as well as
3240-433: Is located between 50 and 160 m (160 and 520 ft) below ground, but is larger than the first, approximately 2 by 2 m (7 by 7 feet). The third tunnel was discovered on 17 October 1978. Unlike the previous two, the third tunnel was discovered following a tip from a North Korean defector . This tunnel is about 1,600 m (5,200 ft) long and about 73 m (240 ft) below ground. Foreign visitors touring
3360-521: The Bombardment of Yeonpyeong . A 2018 travel book described most facilities in the region closed due to lack of visitors. Around the same time, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korea's Kim Jong-un agreed to restart tours to the resort. In 2019, Kim Jong-un visited the site and criticised the facilities: "They are not only very backward in terms of architecture but look so shabby as they are not properly cared for. The buildings are just
3480-536: The Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il portraits that have normally been put, suggestion a desire for Kim to make his mark on the country's politics. The congress marked the consolidation of WPK control over the army, as well as a further decrease in the army's power; the number of military delegates dropped from 719 in the 7th Congress to 408. Politburo members increased from 28 to 30, though incumbent military elite membership decreased from eight to six. The influence of
3600-713: The National Defence Commission . Kim has changed North Korea's internal power dynamics, increasing the influence of the WPK while decreasing the power of the military. In May 2016, he organized WPK's 7th Congress in May 2016, its first congress since 1980. In the congress, Kim became the Chairman of the WPK, which replaced the First Secretary of the WPK. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) amended
3720-590: The University of Lyon , France , compared the picture of Kim taken at the Liebefeld Steinhölzli school in 1999 with a picture of Kim Jong Un from 2012 and concluded that the faces show a conformity of 95%, suggesting that it is most likely that they are the same person. The Washington Post reported in 2009 that Kim Jong Un's school friends recalled he "spent hours doing meticulous pencil drawings of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan". He
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3840-708: The Yellow Sea , not agreed in the armistice. The coastline and islands on both sides of the NLL are also heavily militarized. The 38th parallel north—which divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half—was the original boundary between the United States and Soviet Union's brief administration areas of Korea at the end of World War II . Upon the creation of the North Korea (formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) and South Korea (formally
3960-704: The constitution in June 2016, abolishing the National Defence Commission (NDC) except in times of war, and replacing it with the State Affairs Commission (SAC), which was named the "supreme policy-oriented leadership body of State power". Kim became the chairman of the State Affairs Commission on 29 June 2016. These amendments marked the decrease of the military's influence, with the newly established SAC including more civilian and less military members than
4080-524: The general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim Jong Il , who was the second supreme leader of North Korea, and a grandson of Kim Il Sung , the founder and first supreme leader of the country. From late 2010, Kim was viewed as the successor to the North Korean leadership. Following his father's death in December 2011, state television announced Kim as
4200-895: The "Great Successor". Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs . He is also a member of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo , the highest decision-making body in the country. In July 2012, Kim was promoted to the highest rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army , consolidating his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces . North Korean state media often refer to him as "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un". He has promoted
4320-540: The "Peace Village"), in North Korea, are the only settlements allowed by the armistice committee to remain within the boundaries of the DMZ. Residents of Tae Sung Dong are governed and protected by the United Nations Command and are generally required to spend at least 240 nights per year in the village to maintain their residency. In 2008, the village had a population of 218 people. The villagers of Tae Sung Dong are direct descendants of people who owned
4440-564: The 12th Supreme People's Assembly appointed Kim Jong Un First Chairman of the National Defence Commission . In July 2012, Kim Jong Un was promoted to wonsu (translated as marshal ), the highest active rank in the military. The decision was jointly issued on by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the National Defence Commission, and the Presidium of
4560-426: The 1950s. The town was oriented so that the bright blue roofs and white sides of the buildings would be the most distinguishing features when viewed from the border. However, based on scrutiny with modern telescopic lenses, it has been confirmed that the buildings are mere concrete shells lacking window glass or even interior rooms, with the building lights turned on and off at set times and the empty sidewalks swept by
4680-446: The 1960s, developing the national economy in parallel with the country's nuclear weapons program . A set of comprehensive economic measures, the " Socialist Corporate Responsible Management System [ ko ] ", were introduced in 2013. The measures increase the autonomy of enterprises by granting them "certain rights to engage in business activities autonomously and elevate the will to labor through appropriately implementing
4800-477: The 38th parallel, and ended in 1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th parallel. In the Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed to move their troops back 2,000 m (1.2 miles) from the front line, creating a buffer zone 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes through the center of
4920-689: The Banner of Songun . That speech became the basis of a hymn dedicated to him, " Onwards Toward the Final Victory ". In November 2012, satellite photos revealed a half-kilometer-long (1,600 ft) propaganda message carved into a hillside in Ryanggang Province , reading, "Long Live General Kim Jong Un, the Shining Sun!" Kim Jong Un has been promoting a policy of byungjin , similar to his grandfather Kim il Sung's policies from
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5040-412: The Central Military Commission, and supreme leader of the country, following his father's demise. On 27 March 2012, Kim was elected to the 4th Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea. On 11 April, that conference wrote the post of general secretary out of the party charter and instead designated Kim Jong Il as the party's "Eternal General Secretary". The conference then elected Kim Jong Un as leader of
5160-685: The Civilian Control Line. The Civilian Control Zone is necessary for the military to monitor civilian travel to tourist destinations close to the Southern Limit Line of the DMZ like the discovered infiltration tunnels and tourist observatories. Usually when traveling within the Civilian Control Zone, South Korean soldiers accompany tourist buses and cars as armed guards to monitor the civilians as well as to protect them from North Korean intruders. Right after
5280-466: The DMZ , with military and civilian casualties on both sides. Within the DMZ is a meeting point between the two Korean states, where negotiations take place: the small Joint Security Area (JSA) near the western end of the zone. The Korean Demilitarized Zone intersects but does not follow the 38th parallel north , which was the border before the Korean War . It crosses the parallel on an angle, with
5400-452: The DMZ and indicates where the front was when the agreement was signed. Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side, even 71 years after its establishment. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in
5520-475: The DMZ. According to a 2018 article in The Economist , North Korea could bombard Seoul with over 10,000 rounds every minute. Experts believe that 60 percent of its total artillery is positioned within a few kilometers of the DMZ acting as a deterrent against any South Korean invasion. From 1953 until 2004, both sides broadcast audio propaganda across the DMZ. Massive loudspeakers mounted on several of
5640-526: The DMZ. In addition to using balloons as a means of delivery, North Koreans have also used rockets to send leaflets to the DMZ. On 23 April 2018, both North and South Korea officially cancelled their border propaganda broadcasts. On 1 May 2018, the loudspeaker systems across the Korean border were dismantled. Both sides also committed to ending the balloon campaigns. On 5 May 2018, an attempt by North Korean defectors to disperse more balloon propaganda across
5760-473: The DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL. Sporadic outbreaks of violence in and around the border have killed over 500 South Korean soldiers, 50 American soldiers and 250 North Korean soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999. Daeseong-dong (also written Tae Sung Dong and known as “Freedom Village”), in South Korea, and Kijŏng-dong (also known as
5880-630: The DPRK's main enemy. Kim Jong Un was elected General Secretary of the WPK, which replaced the WPK Chairman. Previously, the title general secretary was awarded "eternally" to Kim Jong Il in 2012. The congress also saw the WPK reassert its commitment to communism. The Control Commission was abolished, with the Central Auditing Commission taking up its duties. The Congress was also unique in that its backdrop did not include
6000-639: The Demilitarized Zone. Both North and South Korea maintain peace villages in sight of each other's side of the DMZ. In the South, Daeseong-dong is administered under the terms of the DMZ. Villagers are classed as South Korean citizens, but are exempt from paying tax and other civic requirements such as military service . In the North, Kijŏng-dong features a number of brightly painted, poured-concrete multi-story buildings and apartments with electric lighting. These features represented an unheard-of level of luxury for rural Koreans, North or South, in
6120-620: The KPA Party Committee and the General Political Bureau (GPB) was decreased; with the committee's ranking now equal to provincial party committees, while it was above them previously. The GPB was also no longer equal to the Central Committee, while the Central Military Commission was given effective command of the armed forces. "Military-first policy" was also removed from the charter, being replaced by "people-first politics". Under Kim, North Korea has changed
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#17327726592236240-638: The Korean People's Army on 24 December 2011, and formally appointed to the position on 30 December 2011 when the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea "courteously proclaimed that the dear respected Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, assumed the supreme commandership of the Korean People's Army". On 26 December 2011, the leading North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong Un had been acting as chairman of
6360-415: The Korean War. In recent years, mainly South Korean non-governmental organizations have been involved in launching balloons targeted at the DMZ and beyond. Due to the winds, the balloons tend to fall near the DMZ where there are mostly North Korean soldiers to see the leaflets. As with the loudspeakers, balloon operations were mutually agreed to be halted between 2004 and 2010. It has been assessed that
6480-555: The Korean border was guarded by standard barbed wire. The North Korean side of the DMZ primarily serves to stop an invasion of North Korea from the south. Its other purpose is to ensure that North Korean citizens face significant difficulty in any effort to defect to South Korea. From the armistice until 1972, approximately 7,700 South Korean soldiers and agents infiltrated into North Korea in order to sabotage military bases and industrial areas. Around 5,300 of them never returned home. North Korea has thousands of artillery pieces near
6600-593: The MDL. On 15 October, 2018, during the high-level talks in Panmunjeom, military officials of the rank of colonel from the two Koreas and Burke Hamilton, Secretary of the UNC Military Armistice Commission , announced measures to reduce conventional military threats, such as creating buffer zones along their land and sea boundaries and a no-fly zone above the border, removing 11 front-line guard posts by December, and demining sections of
6720-505: The NDC. During the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election , Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader to not participate as a candidate for the SPA. The constitution was further amended in 2019 by the SPA. References to Juche and Songun were replaced by Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism , and the constitution stipulated that the mission of North Korea's armed forces was to "defend unto death
6840-405: The North Korean claim that she was running and did not heed warnings. Immediately after the shooting, the South Korean government suspended tours to the resort. In August 2008 the North Koreans announced that they would expel "unnecessary" South Korean workers from the resort. In March 2010, the DPRK government warned of "extraordinary measures" if the tourism ban were not lifted. On April 23, 2010,
6960-425: The North Korean government along with Premier Kim Tok Hun and Supreme People's Assembly president Choe Ryong Hae . Kim Jong Un commands the armed forces, Kim Tok Hun heads the cabinet and handles domestic affairs, and Choe Ryong Hae heads the legislature. However, under the constitution, Kim Jong Un is the highest-ranking of the three, with the constitution explicitly naming his post the "supreme leader who represents
7080-748: The North Korean government seized 5 properties owned by South Korea at the resort, saying that it was done "in compensation for the damage the North side suffered due to the suspension of the tour for a long period." In seizing the properties, North Korea also alluded to the Baengnyeong incident , showing displeasure with South Korea blaming North Korea for the sinking of the ship. Hyundai Asan losses from this incident are estimated at hundreds of million of dollars lost from investment, and further losses due to suspension of tourism-generated income. Starting in April 2010, North Korea permitted companies to run tours from
7200-416: The North Korean side, making it appear increasingly unlikely that tours would be resumed from the South. However, on October 1, 2010, news reports said, "Red Cross officials from the two Koreas agreed Friday to hold reunions for families separated by the Korean War amid mixed signals from North Korea on easing tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship. One hundred families from each country will attend
7320-575: The Party Central Committee headed by the great Comrade Kim Jong Un"; this made Kim the first North Korean leader to be named in the constitution while currently holding power. The chairman of the State Affairs Commission was amended to be the "supreme leader who represents the state", effectively making Kim Jong Un the head of state; previously the president of the Presidium of the SPA was the de facto head of state. The chairman also
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#17327726592237440-542: The Republic of Korea or ROK) in 1948, it became a de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War . Both the North and the South remained dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean War. That conflict, which claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on 25 June 1950, with a full-front DPRK invasion across
7560-518: The South Korean National Intelligence Service reported that the North Korean government has begun using the term "Kimjongunism", in an effort to establish an independent ideological system centered on Kim. Analyst Ken Gause described this as Kim "now ready to put his stamp firmly on the regime". According to the North Korean constitution, Kim Jong Un is part of a triumvirate heading the executive branch of
7680-502: The South Korean DMZ may view inside this tunnel using a sloped access shaft. A fourth tunnel was discovered on 3 March 1990, north of Haean town in the former Punchbowl battlefield. The tunnel's dimensions are 2 by 2 m (7 by 7 feet), and it is 145 m (476 ft) deep. The method of construction is almost identical in structure to the second and the third tunnels. According to North Korea, between 1977 and 1979,
7800-479: The South Korean and United States authorities constructed a concrete wall along the DMZ. North Korea, however, began to propagate information about the wall after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when the symbolism of a wall unjustly dividing a people became more apparent. Various organizations, such as the North Korean tour guide company Korea Konsult, claimed a wall was dividing Korea, saying that: In
7920-558: The Southern Limit Line DMZ fence. The whole estuary of the Han River is deemed a "Neutral Zone" and is off-limits to all civilian vessels and is treated like the rest of the DMZ. Only military vessels are allowed within this neutral zone. Kim Jong-un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1982, 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician who has been supreme leader of North Korea since December 2011 and
8040-413: The Supreme People's Assembly, the Korean Central News Agency subsequently announced. The only higher rank is Taewonsu (roughly translated as Grand Marshal or Generalissimo ) which was held by Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and which was awarded posthumously to his father, Kim Jong Il, in February 2012. The promotion confirmed Kim's role as top leader of the North Korean military and came days after
8160-443: The Workers' Party , in an apparent nod to become the successor to Kim Jong Il. On 10 October 2010, Kim Jong Un was alongside his father when he attended the ruling Workers' Party's 65th-anniversary celebration. This was seen as confirming his position as the next leader of the Workers' Party. Unprecedented international press access was granted to the event, further indicating the importance of Kim Jong Un's presence. In January 2011,
8280-418: The action. Matuzok survived and was eventually resettled in the U.S. In late 2009, South Korean forces in conjunction with the United Nations Command began renovation of its three guard posts and two checkpoint buildings within the JSA compound. Construction was designed to enlarge and modernize the structures. Work was undertaken a year after North Korea finished replacing four JSA guard posts on its side of
8400-410: The activists' balloons may contribute to the decay of remaining cooperation between the Korean governments, and the DMZ has become more militarized in recent years. Many North Korean leaflets during the Cold War gave instructions and maps to help targeted South Korean soldiers in defecting. One of the leaflets found on the DMZ included a map of Cho Dae-hum 's route of defection to North Korea across
8520-538: The area south of the Military Demarcation Line, which cuts across Korea at its waist, there is a concrete wall which ... stretches more than 240 km (149 mi) from east to west, is 5–8 m (16–26 ft) high, 10–19 m (33–62 ft) thick at the bottom, and 3–7 m (10–23 ft) wide in the upper part. It is set with wire entanglements and dotted with gun embrasures, look-outs and varieties of military establishments. In December 1999, Chu Chang-jun, North Korea's ambassador to China , repeated claims that
8640-445: The autonomy and incentives for economic actors. This set of reforms known as the "May 30th measures" reaffirms both socialist ownership and "objective economic laws in guidance and management" to improve living standards. Other objectives of the measures are to increase the availability of domestically manufactured goods on markets, introduction of defence innovations into the civilian sector and boost international trade. There has been
8760-429: The border from South Korea was halted by the South Korean government. The no-fly zone which was established on 1 November 2018 also designates a no-fly zone for all aircraft types above the MDL, and prohibits hot-air balloons from traveling within 25 km of the Korean border's MDL. In 2024, as a response to continuing leaflets from South Korean activists, the North flew several hundred balloons filled with trash over
8880-758: The border with South Korea. It flies a 270 kg (595 lb) flag of North Korea . In 2014, the Panmunjeom flagpole was the fourth tallest in the world, after the Jeddah Flagpole in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , at 170 m (558 ft), the Dushanbe Flagpole in Dushanbe , Tajikistan , at 165 m (541 ft) and the pole at the National Flag Square in Baku , Azerbaijan , which
9000-413: The border, resulting in a June 2024 decision by the South to suspend the above deal and resume military drills near the border. The Civilian Control Line (CCL), or the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ, 민간인출입통제구역 ), is a line that designates an additional buffer zone to the DMZ within a distance of 5 to 20 km (3.1 to 12.4 mi) from the Southern Limit Line of the DMZ. Its purpose is to limit and control
9120-451: The buildings delivered DPRK propaganda broadcasts directed towards the south as well as propaganda radio broadcasts across the border. South Korean broadcasts featured "popular music and lectures on freedom and democracy," while the North Korean broadcast featured "martial music and praises to the country's rulers." In 2004, the North and South agreed to end the broadcasts as part of an agreement to ease diplomatic tensions. On 4 August 2015,
9240-403: The ceasefire, the Civilian Control Zone outside the DMZ encompassed 100 or so empty villages. The government implemented migration measures to attract settlers into the area. As a result, in 1983, when the area delineated by the Civilian Control Line was at its largest, a total of 39,725 residents in 8,799 households were living in the 81 villages located within the Civilian Control Zone. Most of
9360-802: The construction of tourist attractions in the country. Kim has attempted to ease North Korea's food shortages, though the food situation deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2023, during a WPK plenary session, he called for boosting agricultural production, saying that it is "important to concentrate on increasing the yield at all the farms". As with all reporting on North Korea, reports of purges and executions are difficult to verify. Allegations in 2013 that Kim Jong Un had his ex-girlfriend, singer Hyon Song Wol , executed for violating pornography laws turned out to be false. In May 2016, analysts were surprised to find that General Ri Yong Gil , reported by South Korea to have been executed earlier in
9480-418: The consumer economy, construction projects and tourist attractions in North Korea . Kim expanded the country's nuclear weapons program , which led to heightened tensions with the United States and South Korea , as well as China . In 2018 and 2019, Kim took part in summits with former South Korean president Moon Jae-in and former U.S. president Donald Trump , leading to a brief thaw between North Korea and
9600-653: The country, giving " on-the-spot guidance " at various sites. North Korean state media often refers to him as "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un". On 9 January 2012, a large rally was held by the Korean People's Army in front of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to honor Kim Jong Un and to demonstrate loyalty. On 15 April 2012, during a military parade to commemorate Kim Il Sung's centenary, Kim Jong Un made his first public speech, Let Us March Forward Dynamically Towards Final Victory, Holding Higher
9720-531: The entrance of civilians into the area in order to protect and maintain the security of military facilities and operations near the DMZ. The commander of the 8th US Army ordered the creation of the CCL and it was activated and first became effective in February 1954. The buffer zone that falls south of the Southern Limit Line is called the Civilian Control Zone. Barbed wire fences and manned military guard posts mark
9840-403: The famous Bridge of No Return , over which prisoner exchanges have taken place. There are several buildings on both the north and the south side of the MDL, and there have been some built on top of it. All negotiations since 1953 have been held in the JSA, including statements of Korean solidarity, which have generally amounted to little except a slight decline of tensions . Within the JSA are
9960-522: The former described as the "flagship hotel" for the region. By 2007 the region had reported more than 1.7 million visitors. In July 2008, Park Wang-ja, a 53-year-old South Korean tourist, was shot twice and killed when she entered a military area, according to the North Korean government . The South Korean request for a joint inquiry was denied. Forensic tests done on Park suggest that she was standing still or walking slowly when shot. This contradicted
10080-485: The government admitted this publicly, the first time it had ever done so. In May 2014, following the collapse of an apartment building in Pyongyang , Kim Jong Un was said to be very upset at the loss of life that resulted. A statement issued by the country's official news agency the Korean Central News Agency used the rare expression "profound consolation and apology". An unnamed government official
10200-569: The land before the 1950–53 Korean War. To continue to deter North Korean incursion, in 2014 the United States government exempted the Korean DMZ from its pledge to eliminate anti-personnel landmines . On 1 October 2018, however, a 20-day process began to remove landmines from both sides of the DMZ. Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, Panmunjeom is the home of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Originally, it
10320-695: The list of lawmakers, but he was later elevated to a mid-level position in the National Defense Commission , which is a branch of the North Korean military . From 2009, it was understood by foreign diplomatic services that Kim was to succeed his father Kim Jong Il as the head of the Korean Workers' Party and de facto leader of North Korea. He has been named "Brilliant Comrade". His father had also asked embassy staff abroad to pledge loyalty to his son. There have also been reports that citizens in North Korea were encouraged to sing
10440-469: The lives of the average people?" On 15 January 2009, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that Kim Jong Il had appointed Kim Jong Un to be his successor. On 8 March 2009, BBC News reported that Kim Jong Un was on the ballot for 2009 elections to the Supreme People's Assembly , the rubber stamp parliament of North Korea. Subsequent reports indicated that his name did not appear on
10560-522: The meetings from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 at a hotel and reunion center at the North's scenic Diamond Mountain resort, Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said." By September 2011 North Korea had begun operating cruises directly from Rason in north-eastern North Korea, to the port in Mount Kumgang, offering visitors the chance to stay in the resorts previously run by the south. Although aimed primarily at Chinese guests, western companies also offered
10680-642: The mother of the two youngest sons, who lived in Geneva for some time. First reports said that Kim Jong Un attended the private International School of Berne in Gümligen in Switzerland under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998. He was described as shy, a good student who got along well with his classmates, and was a basketball fan. He was chaperoned by an older student, thought to be his bodyguard. His elder brother Kim Jong Chul also attended
10800-595: The names of several offices and institutions in what has been named by Yonhap News Agency as an effort to present itself as a "normal state". The Ministry of People's Armed Forces was renamed to the Ministry of Defence in January 2021, while state media began referring to Kim as "president of the State Affairs Commission" rather than "chairman" in English language articles starting from February 2021. In November 2021,
10920-546: The party under the newly created title of First Secretary. Kim Jong Un also took his father's post as Chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as his father's old seat on the Politburo Presidium . In a speech made prior to the Conference, Kim Jong Un declared that "Imbuing the whole society with Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the highest programme of our Party". On 11 April 2012, the 5th Session of
11040-452: The policy of byungjin , similar to Kim Il Sung's policy from the 1960s, referring to the simultaneous development of both the economy and the country's nuclear weapons program. He has also revived the structures of the WPK, expanding the party's power at the expense of the military leadership. Kim rules North Korea as a totalitarian state, and his leadership has followed the same cult of personality as his father and grandfather . In 2014,
11160-458: The regime reportedly began purging around 200 protégés of both Jong Un's uncle-in-law Jang Song Thaek and O Kuk Ryol , the vice chairman of the National Defence Commission, by either detention or execution to further prevent either man from rivaling Jong Un. On 17 December 2011, Kim Jong Il died. Despite the elder Kim's plans, it was not immediately clear after his death whether Kim Jong Un would in fact take full power, and what his exact role in
11280-473: The regular classes of the 6th, 7th, 8th and part of the final 9th year, leaving the school abruptly in the autumn of 2000. He was described as a well-integrated and ambitious student who liked to play basketball. However, his grades and attendance rating are reported to have been poor. The ambassador of North Korea in Switzerland, Ri Chol , had a close relationship with him and acted as a mentor. One of Kim's classmates told reporters that he had told him that he
11400-541: The replacement of Chief of General Staff Ri Yong Ho by Hyon Yong Chol . On 9 March 2014, Kim Jong Un was elected to a seat in the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's unicameral legislature . He ran unopposed, but voters had the choice of voting yes or no. There was a record turnout of voters and, according to government officials, all voted "yes" in his home district of Mount Paekdu . The Supreme People's Assembly subsequently elected him first chairman of
11520-609: The resort's facilities, including the golf course and the Hotel Haegumgang floating hotel, were being dismantled pursuant to the directives from leader Kim Jong-un . Other facilities that were destroyed include the Mt. Paektu General Museum and Cultural Center, as well as the apartment buildings at the Diamond Mountain Golf Resort and Spa. No new building was spotted in the area. On January 15, 2024, it
11640-526: The resort. The resort was home to Hotel Haegumgang , a floating hotel that first operated on Australia's Great Barrier Reef . Much of the infrastructure in the area was built by the South Korean Hyundai Asan company which received a 30-year exclusive deal to develop the region. In addition to hotels, it was also to include golf courses, ski resorts and other facilities. Developed facilities included Kumgangsan Hotel and Oikumgang Hotel,
11760-534: The school with him. Later, it was reported that Kim Jong Un attended the Liebefeld Steinhölzli state school in Köniz , near Bern , under the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak" from 1998 until 2000 as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy in Bern. Authorities confirmed that a North Korean student attended the school during that period. Kim first attended a special class for foreign-language children and later attended
11880-527: The socialist distribution system". Another priority of economic policies that year was agriculture, where the pojon (vegetable garden) responsibility system was implemented. The system reportedly achieved a major increase in output in some collective farms. North Korean media described the economy as a "flexible collectivist system" where enterprises were applying "active and evolutionary actions" to achieve economic development. These reports reflect Kim's general economic policy of reforming management, increasing
12000-446: The south, though not by the U.S. military. Details of only a few of these incursions have become public, including raids by South Korean forces in 1967 that had sabotaged about 50 North Korean facilities. Since 15 November 1974, South Korea has discovered four tunnels crossing the DMZ that had been dug by North Korea. The orientation of the blasting lines within each tunnel indicated they were dug by North Korea. North Korea claimed that
12120-450: The state". Since 1998, the NDC chairmanship has been constitutionally defined as "the highest post in the state", and a constitutional amendment enacted by the regime explicitly named the NDC (first) chairman as "the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea". However, analysts are divided about how much actual power Kim has. In July 2012, Kim Jong Un showed a change in cultural policy from his father by attending
12240-528: The succession plan, after a propaganda campaign. It is believed by some that Kim Jong Un was involved in the Cheonan sinking and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong to strengthen his military credentials and facilitate a successful transition of power from his father. Kim Jong Un was made a daejang , the equivalent of a four-star general in the United States , on 27 September 2010, a day ahead of
12360-435: The third tunnel sloped slightly upwards as it progressed southward, to prevent water stagnation. Today, visitors from the south may visit the second, third and fourth tunnels through guided tours. The first of the tunnels was discovered on 15 November 1974, by a South Korean Army patrol, noticing steam rising from the ground. The initial discovery was met with automatic fire from North Korean soldiers. Five days later, during
12480-428: The tourist and media photos of the "DMZ fence" are actually photos of the CCL fence. The actual DMZ fence on the Southern Limit Line is completely off-limits to everybody except soldiers, and it is illegal to take pictures of the DMZ fence. The CCL fence acts more as a deterrent for South Korean civilians from getting too close to the dangerous DMZ and is also the final barrier for North Korean infiltrators if they get past
12600-609: The tours. Despite the Lee Myung-bak government expressing a verbal anti-North Korean stance, the head of the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification , Kim Tae-u, proposed that the South Korean government reopen negotiations on the Mount Kumgang Tourist Region with North Korea without any official apology for North Korea's military actions towards the ROKS Cheonan sinking and
12720-449: The tunnels were for coal mining; no coal was found in the tunnels, which were dug through granite. Some of the tunnel walls were painted black to give the appearance of anthracite . The tunnels are believed to have been planned as a military invasion route by North Korea. They run in a north–south direction and do not have branches. Following each discovery, engineering within the tunnels has become progressively more advanced. For example,
12840-474: The two countries, though the negotiations ultimately broke down without progress on reunification of Korea or nuclear disarmament. He has claimed success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea , as the country did not report any confirmed cases until May 2022, although several South Korean observers have questioned this claim. North Korean authorities and state-run media have stated that Kim Jong Un
12960-427: The west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. The DMZ is 250 km (160 mi) long, approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. Though the zone itself is demilitarized, the zone's borders on both sides are some of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. The Northern Limit Line , or NLL, is the disputed maritime demarcation line between North and South Korea in
13080-593: Was announced that North Korea would close the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Administration. Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone ( Korean : 한반도 비무장 지대 ) is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north . The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It
13200-411: Was born on 8 January 1982, but South Korean intelligence officials believe that the actual date is a year later, in 1983. The US government lists his birth year as 1984, based on the passport he used while studying in Switzerland. Ko Yong Suk, Kim's aunt who defected to the United States in 1997 also confirmed the 1984 birthdate, claiming that Kim was the same age as her own son who was a playmate from
13320-658: Was established to serve as a buffer zone between the sovereign states of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) under the provisions of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953, an agreement between North Korea, China , and the United Nations Command . The DMZ is 250 kilometers (160 mi) long and about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) wide. There have been various incidents in and around
13440-544: Was followed by newsreel footage of him attending the conference. Kim Jong Un's eldest half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, had been the favorite to succeed, but reportedly fell out of favor after 2001, when he was caught attempting to enter Japan on a fake passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland . Kim Jong-nam was killed in Malaysia in 2017 by suspected North Korean agents. Kim Jong Il's former personal chef, Kenji Fujimoto , revealed details regarding Kim Jong Un, with whom he had
13560-407: Was given official posts and publicly introduced to the North Korean people, that more pictures were released of Kim, taken when he was attending school in Switzerland. The first official image of him as an adult was a group photograph released on 30 September 2010, at the end of the party conference that effectively anointed him, in which he is seated in the front row, two places from his father. This
13680-473: Was made chairman of the Kim Jong Il funeral committee. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described Kim Jong Un as "a great person born of heaven", a propaganda term only his father and grandfather had enjoyed. The ruling Workers' Party of Korea also said in an editorial, "We vow with bleeding tears to call Kim Jong Un our supreme commander, our leader." He was publicly declared Supreme Commander of
13800-414: Was named as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces as well as the "supreme representative of all the Korean people". In January 2021, the WPK held its 8th Congress , where Kim delivered a nine-hour-long report in which he admitted failures in carrying out the economic plan and lambasted leading officials' shortcomings. He also praised the country's nuclear capability and addressed the United States as
13920-691: Was obsessed with basketball and computer games , and was a fan of Jackie Chan action movies. Most analysts agree that Kim Jong Un attended Kim Il Sung University , a leading officer-training school in Pyongyang, from 2002 to 2007. Kim obtained two degrees, one in physics at Kim Il Sung University and another as an Army officer at the Kim Il Sung Military University . In late February 2018, Reuters reported that Kim and his father had used forged passports—supposedly issued by Brazil and dated 26 February 1996—to apply for visas in various countries. Both 10-year passports carry
14040-510: Was quoted by the BBC as saying Kim Jong Un had "sat up all night, feeling painful". While the height of the building and the number of casualties was not released, media reports described it as a 23-story building and indicated that more than a hundred people may have died in the collapse. Kim Jong Un frequently performs symbolic acts that associate him with the personality cult of his father and grandfather. Like them, Kim Jong Un regularly tours
14160-406: Was reinforced with concrete slabs and had electric power and lighting. There were weapon storage areas and sleeping areas. A narrow-gauge railway with carts had also been installed. Estimates based on the tunnel's size suggest it would have allowed considerable numbers of soldiers to pass through it. The second tunnel was discovered on 19 March 1975. It is of similar length to the first tunnel. It
14280-452: Was the only connection between North and South Korea but that changed on 17 May 2007, when a Korail train went through the DMZ to the North on the new Donghae Bukbu Line built on the east coast of Korea. However, the resurrection of this line was short-lived, as it closed again in July 2008 following an incident in which a South Korean tourist was shot and killed. The JSA is the location of
14400-709: Was the son of the leader of North Korea. According to some reports, Kim was described by classmates as a shy child who was awkward with girls and indifferent to political issues, but who distinguished himself in sports and had a fascination with the American National Basketball Association and Michael Jordan . One friend claimed that he had been shown pictures of Kim with Kobe Bryant and Toni Kukoč . In April 2012, new documents came to light indicating that Kim Jong Un had lived in Switzerland since 1991 or 1992, earlier than previously thought. The Laboratory of Anatomic Anthropology at
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