Former British ambassador reveals about Kim Jong-un's private life

Family man

"People who know him say Kim has a great sense of humor, is a family man, loves his wife and children. He always talks about his wife and children and takes pride in watching them grow up and go to school like any other father," former British ambassador to North Korea John Everard affirmed in a conversation withMetro.

Everard served as a diplomat in Pyongyang from 2006 to 2008 and headed the United Nations Security Council's Panel of Experts on sanctions against North Korea.

Kim Jong-un is believed to have married Ri Sol-ju, a former North Korean cheerleader, in 2009 and they have three children.The children's ages are difficult to determine but can be estimated based on Ri Sol-ju's absence from public view.

South Korean media reported that Kim Jong-un has a son born in 2010, a daughter born in 2013, and the gender of the third child, believed to be born in 2017, remains unknown.If family tradition holds, it is likely that Kim Jong-un's eldest son will one day inherit power.

In 2013, former American basketball player Dennis Rodman, a friend of Kim Jong-un, said he had met Kim Jong-un's daughter and that Kim was "a good father with a happy family".

"Kim Jong-un is reported to have at least three children. The person I spoke to most recently who knows Kim Jong-un said that Kim Jong-un is always very happy when talking about his children," said the former British ambassador.

"If you look at the Kim family tree, Kim Jong-il had children with different women, but Kim Jong-un only had one wife and he was very happy with this marriage. She was very attractive and when she was with her husband, she was always bright and gentle," Everard added..

Smart leadership and strategic thinking

In recent months, the North Korean leader has pushed for greater international cooperation, with summits with China, South Korea and, most notably, a historic summit with US President Donald Trump. But what kind of leader is Kim Jong-un really?

"I don't know Kim personally, but I know people who know him. Chinese people meet him a lot and they say he is extremely intelligent, strategic, alwaysvery clear and concise in speech, likes to get straight to the point.Kim is much younger than any Chinese leader, so he is always properly respectful and very polite. Kimmakes you feel comfortable within 30 minutes of talking to him and people are always amazed by him,"Everard said.

Kim Jong-un is the third generation of the Kim family to lead North Korea. After 7 years in power, Kim Jong-un appears to have gained more than his grandfather Kim Il-sung and father Kim Jong-il as well as the support of the North Korean people.

"He gets a lot of publicity that his father Kim Jong-il never got. Kim Jong-il is actually a bit of a recluse. Every New Year,Kim Il-sung often gave congratulatory speeches to the people, but this stopped during Kim Jong-il's reign.Now, this tradition has been restored by Kim Jong-un,"Everard said, adding that Kim Jong-un also surprised the North Korean people when he publicly apologized after the collapse of an apartment building in Pyongyang..

"He enjoys appearing before crowds at home and abroad.He travels to many places in North Korea, visiting farms and factories, and perhaps like his grandfather, Kim Jong-un will have these photos taken, framed and passed down through the generations. Such trips are oftenwon the love and gratitude of the North Korean people," the former British ambassador affirmed.