The popularity of Netflix's Squid Game has put South Korea on the map recently, but lead of the North Kim Jong-un's recent media attention isn't so positive.
Kim Jong-un is the leader of the country's socialist North, which is where Player 067 (HoYuen Jung) was desperately trying to free her family from in the series.
According to UN reports, the state is currently short of around two-months' worth of food and starving North Koreans have been told to simply "eat less until 2025" to manage the shortage, which is down to the border closures with China.
Advert
North Korea closed its borders with China in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and apparently the state has said it's highly unlikely they'll be reopening them before 2025, due to fears of what the virus could do to the country's limited healthcare system.
"Two weeks ago, they told the neighborhood watch unit meeting that our food emergency would continue until 2025. Authorities emphasized that the possibility of reopening customs between North Korea and China before 2025 was very slim," a resident told Radio Free Asia.
"The food situation right now is already clearly an emergency, and the people are struggling with shortages. When the authorities tell them that they need to conserve and consume less food until 2025... they can do nothing but feel great despair."
Who is Kim Jong-un?
Kim Jong-Un has been the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is the ruling party of North Korea, since 2012.
Advert
He is only the second Supreme Leader of North Korea, having taken over from his father after his death in 2012. His grandfather established the regime in 1948.
Who is Kim Jong-un's wife?
Kim Jong-un has reportedly been married to Ri Sol-ju since 2009. As Kim's wife, she is also the first lady of North Korea.
Advert
Although Ri has appeared publicly countless times alongside her husband, very little is known about the pair's private life. Not even their birth dates are confirmed.
According to the BBC, Ri Sol-ju is a former singer. The couple reportedly have three children together. The first is said to have been born in 2010, the second in 2013 and the third in 2017, but nothing is confirmed and the family is very secretive about their private life.
What is Kim Jong-un's net worth?
Kim Jong-un is reported to be worth a staggering $5 billion (£3.6 billion) in 2021. These are just estimates, as the state would never release this information.
Advert
However, it was a UN investigation in 2014 which arrived at this figure. It found that Kim's family is likely to be sitting on personal wealth worth around $5 billion which is thought to be stashed in assets around the world.
The dictator is thought to live a lavish lifestyle behind closed doors, despite us only ever seeing him decked out in a plain black attire whenever he appears in public.
In comparison, The Express reported in 2020 that the average annual salary of a North Korean is a pittance, somewhere between $1000-$2000 (£726-£1500), with even the best workers only earning around $62 (£45) a month.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: World News, Politics, Kim Jong Un, North Korea