Who spends his lunch eating so much fancy cheese and imported Kobe beef that he gave himself gout?
Who tours military production facilities surrounded by tanks, then chugs expensive
imported whiskey and smokes fancy French cigarettes while ordering mass executions?
Who invites former American basketball stars to his massive palace when he’s not spending
his evening being serenaded by his own personal girl group?
This would only be an average day for Kim Jong Un. Since being sworn in back in 2011 as the new head
of the country’s ruling dynasty, Kim Jong Un has reigned as the Supreme Leader of North
Korea for over a decade. In that time, the man has garnered a reputation as one of the most fearsome,
powerful, and controversial figures on the world stage, thanks to his totalitarian regime,
ongoing tensions with the United States, Japan, and, of course, South Korea,
and the constant fear over his access to nuclear weapons. His tenure in his position of power is
characterized by his ruthless consolidation of power and a dramatic, unsettling acceleration of
the country’s nuclear weapons program. And yet, despite his high profile,
there is very little that’s actually known about Kim Jong Un’s personal, day-to-day life. Just
what does somebody do when they’ve got all that time, money, and power at their disposal? Well,
we’d be willing to bet that he probably doesn’t spend all his time wandering the halls of his
palace and singing about how lonely he is, like his dad used to - And that’s about the only Team
America joke we can get away with here on YouTube. Joking aside, we’ve scoured our way through
reports about the secretive lifestyle of North Korea’s diabolical dictator to find out just what
goes on in a day in the life of Kim Jong Un. Now, not everyone’s a morning person,
but we would imagine that having to live your life with the near-constant threat
of assassination attempts would be enough to keep even the toughest person awake at night.
It has long been reported that Kim Jong Un has often struggled with insomnia, brought on by
the stress of his position and the dangers it also brings. Having all that power might sound
like a safe and secure position to hold, but it brings with it plenty of potential threats
to his life. Due to this, he is thought to have a somewhat erratic sleep pattern, not waking up at
a regular time each morning. Instead, the time he gets up is likely subject to change depending on
what was occupying his time on the previous day. Most of us start our mornings with a warm cup of
coffee, and it’s possible that Kim Jong Un is no exception to that. It’s been reported that
Kim often starts his day with Brazilian coffee, which is considerably more expensive. Brazil is
the largest coffee-producing country in the world, and a high quantity of their coffee is
imported into North Korea –an estimated 900,000 US dollars’ worth of it a year.
However, this coffee isn’t for everyone, and is hoarded for Kim Jong Un and his staff; sadly,
it’s not a luxury the people of North Korea can afford, given that around sixty percent of
citizens are living below the poverty line – all thanks to Kim’s totalitarian regime.
It’s been speculated that exercise doesn’t play much of a part in Kim Jong Un’s daily routine,
unless you count exercising his dictatorial power over his country. He also doesn’t seem to have the
diet of a person who is all that conscious about his health. There has even been intelligence
gathered by South Korea that implies Kim Jong Un might actually be obese - if you couldn’t tell
just by looking at the guy - as well as suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. He’s known
to be fonder of richer, more indulgent foods over those that are more nutritious.
For example, the Supreme Leader is particularly fond of Emmental cheese,
possibly stemming from his time as a student in Switzerland at the International School
of Berne. That’s right - Kim was schooled in Switzerland under a fake name so he could receive
a first-rate education. Strangely, he was actually described as a good student, being shy but polite,
and being an extremely ardent fan of basketball - particularly with Michael Jordan. Kim’s
basketball obsession has never faded and will come out in a particularly strange way later.
In 2009, an alleged school friend of Kim's came forward to the Washington Post with more
details of Kim’s day-to-day activities during his student years. According to the friend,
young Kim enjoyed doodling - mainly sketching members of the Chicago Bulls, his favorite
basketball team - and was an ardent gamer. He was also a big fan of Jackie Chan's Kung Fu movies. We
have no idea whether he keeps up with Mr. Chan’s filmography to this day, or if he still plays
computer games, but we know he never stopped eating like a particularly gluttonous Swiss.
It is possibly even thanks to his indulgent diet that Kim Jong Un may have developed gout. While
hearing that word might immediately call to mind mental images of disease-ridden medieval England,
gout is actually a form of arthritis that is still somewhat common; in fact, in the United States,
cases of gout have increased over the past twenty years to the point where it affects
around three percent of the population. It is caused by a build-up of uric acid in the body,
which has been linked to weight gain, particularly from consuming richer foods.
Saltier fish can contribute to this, and wouldn’t you know, Kim Jong Un is a big fan of sushi.
A regular part of Kim’s diet is special sushi made from tuna, which is high in fat, as well
as shark fin soup. While this is considered to be something of a delicacy in parts of the world,
shark fin soup also contributes to declining shark populations thanks to the hunting involved,
threatening to drive certain species towards extinction - So it’s not just other humans
that Kim’s daily routine has been killing. Kim Jong Un has also been known to order
top-quality pork all the way from Denmark, caviar that he has delivered from Iran, Chinese melon,
and steaks of Kobe beef, a delicacy from Japan. Kim spares no expense when it
comes to feeding himself and his inner circle with the best cuisine from around the world.
While it is not known exactly how much he spends on food, the total is estimated to be in the
millions, just like the millions of North Korean citizens struggling to gain access to healthy,
nutritious sources of food while their Supreme Leader enjoys so many extravagant
dishes that it’s affecting his health. Speaking of his health, excessive alcohol
intake is another factor that might also have contributed to Kim developing gout. Sure enough,
Kim Jong Un is partial to a lot of expensive liquors, reportedly spending the equivalent of
thirty million US dollars on importing some of the most luxury brands for him and his inner circle.
He’s believed to be fond of higher-end brands of whiskey and cognac, like the famously smooth
Hennessy – the more expensive bottles of which can run up to over $2000 in the United
States. Some of his other favorites reportedly include vodka imported directly from Russia,
champagne, and – perhaps most bizarrely – snake wine. Originating from China,
this strange beverage is produced by infusing rice wine or grain alcohol… with an entire snake.
Only the bessssst for the Supreme Leader. Kim Jong Un’s penchant for knocking back a
few glasses of the hard stuff seems to have only increased in recent years. In 2023,
he turned thirty-nine, and this apparently brought with it a wave of concern over his
worsening health and the rapid approach of the dreaded four-zero: turning forty.
Whether he’s drinking a lot because of a mid-life crisis or not,
Kim Jong Un has long been thought to be something of a party animal,
staying up all night drinking just like his dad… who also had gout, as did Kim Il-sung,
Kim Jong Un’s grandfather and the founder of North Korea. Kim’s older brother,
Kim Jong Nam, also suffered from gout. But despite his many health concerns,
Kim Jong Un has an entire team of scientists on hand who are dedicated to finding ways to extend
his lifespan. According to a researcher named Hyenong-soo Kim, who fled from North Korea,
Kim Jong Un has a team of medics continuously looking into ways to keep the dictator
healthy despite his indulgent lifestyle. The Longevity Institute was established
specifically for this purpose, with the goal of finding a way to circumvent or prevent the
symptoms of the cardiovascular and diabetic problems brought on by the Supreme Leader’s
unhealthy diet. Unfortunately for those working at the institute, finding other obese people in North
Korea to conduct studies is difficult, given that most of the population is malnourished.
It’s also worth pointing out that you probably don’t need to be a scientist to tell Kim Jong
Un that the solution to his problems is probably more sleep, and less fancy cheese and expensive
booze - though you’d probably end up in a forced labor camp for pointing this out.
Back to his routine, and after what is likely an indulgent and lavish breakfast, Kim Jong Un’s
morning activities typically include a series of orchestrated visits to munitions factories,
naval shipyards, and other industrial centers that bolster North Korea’s military strength.
These visits are all a facet of the widespread propaganda campaign that has engulfed the country,
specifically designed to portray Kim as a leader who deeply cares about the ordinary
working people of North Korea. But if his life of luxury compared to the abject suffering and
struggles of those people says anything, it betrays how much he actually cares about
Korean citizens – which is to say, not a lot. Still, his carefully crafted image is intended
to boost the general opinion of Kim Jong Un among the people of North Korea, as well as to further
uphold the country’s nationalistic ideals. If you want an idea as to how insidious the propaganda of
North Korea is, you need only look out across the Demilitarized Zone separating it from South Korea.
There, you’ll see Gijungdong, a seemingly idyllic village that is intentionally made
to look appealing to those in the South in an attempt to persuade them to defect to
North Korea. Kim Jong Un even called for a new propaganda campaign in 2022 amid North Korea’s
economic struggles as a way to ‘boost morale’ – or, more likely, to bolster his own independent
and militaristic goals for the country, with the aid of the Workers’ Party Congress.
Officials in Pyongyang even restrict foreign visitors and journalists from taking photos
within North Korea, intentionally turning international attention away from the inherent
bleakness of a country where so many are living in poverty. Not the Supreme Leader, though.
Here’s an example of propaganda intersecting with Kim Jong Un’s lavish way of living:
according to some North Korean school textbooks, Kim was a child prodigy who learned to drive at
the age of only three years old. While that seems highly unlikely, what is undoubtedly true is that
he owns an extensive garage of luxury cars. Vehicles like this aren’t typically imported
to North Korea, but Kim Jong Un has the resources to get his hands on a number of high-end cars. His
favorite brands include Mercedes Benz and BMWs, and he apparently owns up to a hundred cars.
It is actually illegal for citizens of North Korea to freely travel around the country or leave on
international flights without the express approval of Kim Jong Un’s government. Many have braved
this capital offense – and even risked death for themselves and their families – in order to defect
to South Korea. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un himself is often seen being ferried around in luxury limos,
driving him to his various public appearances. Given his prominent status, being able to appear
at his various propaganda visits means that Kim relies heavily on a tight-knit security detail,
having his very own equivalent of the Secret Service at his disposal. However,
his security also has rather specific criteria that they have to meet in order to protect
the Supreme Leader. His bodyguards must be no taller than five feet and five inches tall, the
same height as Kim himself. This is so as not to make the Supreme Leader look… well, not supreme.
If he appears to be shorter or in any way physically inferior or less imposing than
his security detail, then it undermines his image as a powerful and indomitable ruler.
Of course, having a lot of firepower certainly helps to reinforce that image, too. Kim Jong Un
is normally escorted by several large armored tanks mounted with machine guns to protect him
from potential threats whenever he is out in the open. As well as offering substantial firepower,
having military vehicles in his presence also serves to emphasize Kim Jong Un’s goal of building
a powerful military force in the face of what he considers to be hostile policies from the United
States and other nations around the world. Kim has often clung to a lot of the same
policies that his father promoted, including a strategy of promoting North Korea’s isolation
and independence from the rest of the world, building its own strength by expanding its
nuclear weapons program. Although, Kim Jong Un has often emphasized that the growing number
of weapons in North Korea are intended to defend the country, not start a war. Still,
it’s always unsettling seeing anyone surrounded by tanks and trucks showing off his latest missiles.
Whenever he heads off on international visits, Kim Jong Un’s security measures only increase.
He’s often been known to make use of not one but three separate planes, with two of them acting
as decoys to avoid the risk of anyone knowing exactly where he’s due to arrive at any given
time. This meticulous approach to staying safe, the heightened security and secrecy
surrounding him, seem to give the impression of someone who is both powerful and paranoid,
possibly expecting some form of retaliation against him for his treatment of his citizens.
Fear of being assassinated doesn’t seem to stop Kim from using his power to lead a frivolous
lifestyle. Whenever taking brief breaks from his oh-so-busy schedule, Kim Jong Un can sometimes be
found aboard his custom-designed yacht. Owning a yacht is a pipe dream for most
ordinary people around the world, with hardly any of us even achieving the wealth required
to buy even a lower-end kind of boat. For those impoverished in North Korea,
the likelihood of owning a yacht is even further away. And yet, Kim Jong Un has a 200-foot-long
yacht worth between seven and eight million US dollars. Its nickname? ‘Princess.’ How adorable.
Once again evidencing Kim’s indulgent lifestyle, it’s been speculated that he could easily afford
a larger vessel, given the estimated equivalent of five billion US dollars at his disposal, but he’s
apparently grown attached to the familiarity and comfort provided by his top-of-the-line
yacht. His little Princess, if you will. Of course, being on the water can get a
little boring, but luckily for the Supreme Leader, he can always spend his downtime at the Masikryong
Ski Resort. This thirty-five million dollar resort was developed at the behest of Kim Jong
Un in order to drive up tourism in North Korea and increase the amount of foreign visitors.
And who wouldn’t want to vacation in a place that has skiing and human rights violations?
Located at the summit of Taehwa Peak, Masikryong Ski Resort was constructed in just ten short
months. While it was intended to drum up interest from tourists, a potential additional motivating
factor is that Kim himself is supposedly a big fan of the sport. He even described the resort
as impeccable, boasting several wood cabin rooms, a spa, a restaurant, and a combined
one hundred and ten kilometers of slopes. However, despite all the amenities on offer,
Masikryong Ski Resort is reportedly mostly unused and is kept open by armies of workers, including
men, women, and, most worryingly, children. Providing skiing or yachting doesn’t take up
too much of his time, Kim might still have room in the day to oversee some of his political dealings.
For example, orchestrating executions. Kim Jong Un has ordered the deaths of over 340 people
since he came to power in 2011, utilizing a variety of methods, including the alleged
use of anti-aircraft guns and even flamethrowers. Seemingly, nobody is safe from his brutal forms of
capital punishment, including members of his own family. Both Kim Jong Un’s uncle and half-brother
were executed at the Supreme Leader’s behest. Jang Song-thaek, Kim’s uncle, was branded as a
traitor and accused of a litany of crimes – from plotting to overthrow the state to
introducing disastrous reforms of North Korea’s currency. Jang had married into the first family
following his wedding to Kim Kyong Hui, one of Kim Jon Il’s sisters. Although he had aided Kim
Jong Un in cementing his authority, Jang was reportedly a reformist who felt North Korea
should open its doors to the world. Following a military tribunal,
Jang was stripped of his role within North Korea’s Workers’ Party and then put to death.
Some rumors even indicate that Jang’s headless body was shown to other North Korean officials,
with his head sitting on the body’s chest. However, that rumor comes from the mouth of former
President and occasional Kim Jong Un admirer, Donald Trump. So, take it with a grain of salt.
The assassination of Kim Jong Nam has been more widely reported on, given that it occurred at an
airport in Malaysia, not on North Korean soil. Kim Jong Nam had, for a time, been reported to be the
favored successor to Kim Jong Il, but seemingly fell out of favor and was exiled in 2003.
In 2017, he was approached by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport who threw a liquid
into his face. This was actually a VX nerve agent that killed Kim Jong Nam in approximately fifteen
minutes. According to reports, the two women – Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Đoàn Thị Hương
from Vietnam – were approached by North Korean agents who misled the pair of them into believing
they were taking part in a TV prank show, and told to throw the nerve agent at Kim Jong Nam.
While these two women subsequently had the charges of murder dropped, it is widely believed that Kim
Jong Nam was intentionally murdered at the behest of his half-brother, Kim Jong Un.
After a busy day of being the face of a propaganda campaign, enjoying expensive
food, and ordering assassinations, Kim Jong Un no doubt must get exhausted. So, he likes to unwind,
and what better way to do that than at his own personal indoor movie theater?
Boasting a 1000-seat capacity, the Supreme Leader probably puts his feet up and maybe even enjoys
a cigarette while he watches a movie. While he’s rumored to be a heavy smoker, Kim is hardly likely
to buy just any old cigarettes from behind a store counter. Ever one for the finer things in life,
Kim Jong Un reportedly smokes the variety produced by French designer Yves Sait
Laurent – that costs $44 a pack here in the US. As for what Kim likes watching, he’s apparently
a fan of Godzilla movies, as well as a follower of the NBA. See? We told you it’d come back.
Kim’s enduring love for basketball is evidenced by Kim Jong Un’s surprising friendship with former
NBA star Dennis Rodman. Kim has invited Rodman to Pyongyang multiple times, and the basketball
player has even sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the dictator on the court. According to the former
Chicago Bulls player, who has described himself as a ‘friend for life’ of the Supreme Leader,
Kim Jong Un also makes occasional retreats to his own private luxury island, similar to places like
Ibiza or Hawaii. Oh, and he also gifted Kim with a copy of The Art of the Deal by – yep,
here he is again – Donald Trump. When he’s not hanging out in the
company of disgraced former basketball players, Kim has a group of women taken from classrooms
across North Korea to keep him company. For entertainment, he also has his own hand-picked,
all-girl pop band called the Moranbong Band, known for hits like their debut song ‘Do Prosper,
Era of the Workers’ Party.’ It’ll sweep the funky house scene any day now!
Despite its associations with the Western world, Kim Jong Un also apparently has a
fondness for Disney movies, seen enamored with costumed versions of Tigger and Minnie Mouse
that appeared in a musical on state-run television, which also featured early
Disney animated classics like Dumbo and Snow White playing on a screen in the background.
Then, at the end of the day, Kim Jong Un returns to his palace, which spans over 4.5 miles,
and contains an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a shooting range, and even a water slide. As ever,
his luxury lifestyle contrasts with the lives of ordinary North Korean people,
who struggle to feed their families while the Supreme Leader spends his evenings
partying and feasting on more expensive food. It’s worth remembering exactly why Kim Jong Un is
so famous – or rather infamous – around the world. Some of the sparse details about his secretive
life can make him seem like an outlandish figure, but he’s still the dictator of an entire country,
not just another a celebrity with an extravagant lifestyle. We’re still
pretty curious about that snake wine, though… Now check out “How Cruel Is North Korean Leader
Kim Jong-Un? And More Life Inside North Korea Stories.” Or watch this instead!