×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Thursday
12
Feb 2026
weather symbol
Athens 14°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Happy Birthday, Mr. Kim! Top 5 Fun Facts about N. Korean leader (video-photos)

Do it like Kim!

Newsroom January 8 04:56

Kim Jong-un’s date of birth remains one of the greatest mysteries to be solved for the whole world, although rumour has it the North Korean leader was born on 8 January, 1984.

Kim Jong-un is believed to be celebrating his 35th birthday today, although conflicting data from North Korean media suggest he was born in 1982, while South Korean intelligence officials think the actual date is a year late.

The US Treasury Department, in turn, has listed his date of birth as 8 January, 1984. Here are the most interesting facts (and rumours) about the North Korean leader on this very special occasion:

Basketball Diplomacy

Kim Jong-un is a diehard basketball fan and a friend of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who sang “Happy Birthday” to him five years ago to loud applause from spectators before leading a team of former American basketball players in a match against a North Korean team in Pyongyang.

Rodman has repeatedly visited North Korea and publicly professed affection for Kim, calling him “my friend for life”.

Hipster-Style Haircut

Kim’s style has been a subject of much discussion on media, with many paying considerable attention to his signature Mao-style suit, horn-rimmed glasses and, finally, his trademark high-cut hairdo. He has a sweptback hairstyle with the sides and back shaved, with media outlets claiming that the leader is afraid of barbers, and cuts his own hair.

(North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves during a military parade on Saturday, April 15, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea to celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country’s late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un)

His hairdo was dubbed an “ambitious hairstyle” in North Korea, with many starting to emulate Kim’s iconic coiffure.

Reaching New Heights

Following the historic meeting between Kim and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in last May, South Korean journalists at Chosun Ilbo have examined the North Korean leader’s… footwear in order to learn his real height.

(North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Friday, April 27, 2018)

Kim, who was previously believed to be around 170 cm, appeared to be less than 2.5 cm shorter than Moon, whose height is estimated at 172 cm, but experts noticed that a high slope on the front of his shoes looked as if he was wearing height-increasing insoles, with one of them suggesting that Kim’s real height was only 162.5 cm.

Kim’s Sense of Fashion

Kim seems to be passionate about the menswear military trend, usually wearing dark or blue-gray button-up Mao-style suits, but once in a while he ditches the signature outfit… in favour of gray slacks, an oversized white T-shirt and a wide-brimmed straw hat.

I want to be as happy as Kim Jong Un is when he visits a fish pickling plant. #GoalSetting pic.twitter.com/hEGgDNmGuD

— soren knudsen (@OldKnudsen) August 9, 2018

Un Selfie, S’il Vous Plaît

People have been taking selfies for a while now, but Kim had his first snapshot last June in Singapore, where he met with US President Donald Trump.

The North Korean leader was all smiles as Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs, took a selfie of them together on his mobile phone, which he then eagerly shared on social media.

#Jalanjalan #guesswhwere? pic.twitter.com/oVOk8UuqlC

>Related articles

Conflict in Britain between Starmer and the owner of Manchester United: “We’ve become a colony of immigrants”, “make a public apology”

Kim Jong Un has chosen his teenage daughter as the next leader of North Korea

Horrific allegations against Iran’s regime: Injured protesters executed in hospitals, girls detained and raped

— Vivian Balakrishnan (@VivianBala) June 11, 2018

Source: sputniknews

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#Dennis Rodman#facts#funny#happy birthday#Kim Jong Un#North Korea#world
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Gallstones: 5 key points on cholelithiasis, its complications, and treatment

February 12, 2026

AADE uncovers massive ‘front’ network: 380 businesses, €43M in debts, 11 arrests

February 12, 2026

Zacharakis meeting with Guilfoyle: “Greek-American cooperation in education is an investment in our common future”

February 12, 2026

“No activity on campus after 22:00 — no smoking, alcohol, or late-night gatherings,” says Aristotle University rector

February 12, 2026

This is the “Stephen” who recruited the Greek colonel to spy for China

February 12, 2026

The common ancestor shared by half the men of Inner Mani: How clan structures turned the region into a genetic “island” in Europe

February 12, 2026

Erdogan: Turkey’s wind is blowing on the international political scene; we set the agenda

February 12, 2026

Tsiknopempti in Thessaloniki: Packed crowds on Vasileos Irakleiou Street with grills and dancing — see images

February 12, 2026
All News

> World

Erdogan: Turkey’s wind is blowing on the international political scene; we set the agenda

The Turkish president attacked his country's opposition for yesterday's incidents in the National Assembly during the swearing-in of two new ministers

February 12, 2026

Conflict in Britain between Starmer and the owner of Manchester United: “We’ve become a colony of immigrants”, “make a public apology”

February 12, 2026

Kim Jong Un has chosen his teenage daughter as the next leader of North Korea

February 12, 2026

Who was the 18-year-old trans teen who bloodied a small community in Canada: Dropped out of school at 14, began gender transition six years ago (photos)

February 12, 2026

Horrific allegations against Iran’s regime: Injured protesters executed in hospitals, girls detained and raped

February 12, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα