5 Facts About North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Friday, August 11, 2017

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves to North Korean scientists and technicians, who developed missile 'Hwasong-12' in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), May 20, 2017. | (Photo: KCNA/via Reuters)

He is one of the youngest state leaders in the world but his real birthdate is questioned

Kim, who is believed to be 33 although his real age is unknown, is one of the youngest world leaders. He is the third son of former North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il and grandson of Kim Il Sung, who served as North Korea's dictator since its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994.

There is likely only one state leader who is younger than Kim. That person is Vanessa D'Ambrosio, the 29-year-old Captain Regent of the Italian microstate of San Marino.

According to Heavy.com, much of Kim's early life is unknown, including his actual date of birth. According to North Korea, Kim was born on January 8, 1982. However, South Korean records indicate that his birth came on January 8, 1983.

"There is a lot of debate about the year he was born," Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, a Korean think tank, told CNN. "Some say it is 1984 while others say is '83 or '82."