The contrasting paths to power of the South Korean president and the North Korean leader

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold an important summit on April 27. AFP looks back at the two leaders' journey to becoming the most powerful people in the country.

South Korean President Rises From Poverty

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's parents were born in a small village in what is now North Korea's Hungnam Province. His father, Moon Yong-hyung, graduated from a prestigious high school and became an agricultural official in the local government.

When the Korean War broke out in late 1950, and Kim Il-sung's forces surrounded the city, Moon Yong-hyung, his wife Kang Han-ok, and 100,000 others fled the North in the "Hungnam Evacuation," one of the largest civilian evacuations ever undertaken by the U.S. military. However, Kang Han-ok's younger sister remained in North Korea, and they were separated. Kang gave birth to Moon Jae-in in a refugee camp in Geoje, in what is now South Korea.

Mr. Moon Yong-hyung is a quiet, educated man who cares a lot about social issues but has no business ability, so he falls into debt and becomes depressed.

"Even when he opened a small shop, everyone said it would go nowhere. He was like that all the time," the South Korean president wrote in an autobiography.

The family relied on food from Catholic nuns, and President Moon still identifies as Catholic to this day. His mother became the main breadwinner, running businesses that included selling clothes on the streets. Young Moon Jae-in would pull a cart full of coal to sell to help his mother. His father died in 1978 at the age of 58.

"He lived his whole life as a refugee and in poverty. He had high expectations for me but passed away before he could see his son's success. I am very sad and tormented about this," President Moon wrote.

But Mr Moon inherited his father's academic ability and social consciousness, becoming a lawyer and human rights activist under South Korean President Park Chung-hee, father of the now-indicted former president Park Geun-hye.

He became a lawyer and was a close friend of lawyer Roh Moo-hyun, who later became president of South Korea. In 2003, he was an important aide to President Roh.

Another role model for Mr Moon is President Kim Dae-jung, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his “Sunshine Policy” towards North Korea. Mr Moon credits the late President Kim as an inspiration for him to continue fighting for a peace agreement with North Korea. Mr Kim Dae-jung was also the first South Korean leader to visit Pyongyang.

Mr Moon lost the 2012 presidential election to rival Park Geun-hye. He became president in May 2017 after Ms Park was arrested on charges of bribery and abuse of power.

North Korean leader born into luxury

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s path to power contrasts sharply with that of the South Korean president. Pyongyang says his father, Kim Jong-il, was born at a secret guerrilla camp on Mount Baektu, a sacred site for both North and South Koreans in neighboring Hungnam Province.

However, independent experts and Soviet records say that Kim Jong-il was actually born in a village in Siberia, where his father Kim Il-sung lived in exile.

Much of Kim Jong-un's early life is kept secret, and his date of birth is unclear, but Kim did indeed live a life of luxury, according to AFP.

Kim Jong-un's mother, Ko Yong-hui, was Kim Jong-il's third wife. She was a dancer in the Mansudae Art Troupe. When he grew up, Kim was sent to study in Switzerland and was raised by his aunt and her husband.

School staff and classmates, who did not know Kim Jong-un's background, described him as shy, fond of skiing, basketball and a big fan of Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his 30s, only emerged from public view in 2008 when his father suffered a stroke and Pyongyang began planning a succession plan.

In 2011, Kim Jong-il died and Kim Jong-un officially became the leader of North Korea. When he first took over, Kim was seen as inexperienced, vulnerable and could be manipulated by other senior officials. Contrary to popular opinion, Kim Jong-un quickly established power.

Kim Jong-un's hairstyle, clothes, demeanor, public speaking style, and even handwriting are very similar to his grandfather Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-un has always personally supervised the development of North Korea's nuclear technology and ballistic missiles.

Kim Jong-un remains an international unknown. Last month, he made a surprise trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first foreign trip since taking power. The most famous foreigner he has met is American basketball star Dennis Rodman.