Why Kim Jong Un has to keep his birth year a secret.

The North Korean leader has always kept his true age a secret and recently celebrated his birthday quietly, according to former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong Ho, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

According to this diplomat, the reason the North Korean leader has to conceal his true birth year from the public is related to high-ranking officials in the country who are skeptical of his authority when they learn his real age.

Therefore, Kim Jong Un's exact date of birth has never been officially announced, but everyone knows that the leader's birthday is January 8th. In 2017, Kim Jong Un was believed to be 33, 34, or 35 years old, according to sources.

"If Kim Jong Un's true age were revealed, he would have trouble dealing with officials 30-40 years older than him," said former diplomat Thae Yong-ho. "Kim Jong Un holds absolute power in North Korea, so age is not something that officials there should question."

In July 2016, Business Insider reported that the US State Department, when imposing sanctions on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated that he was born on January 8, 1984.

However, in reality, to this day, outsiders still do not know for sure Kim Jong Un's year of birth. In 2015, the American news agency CNN reported that North Korean media had never confirmed the exact date of birth of the country's leader.

Many experts estimate that Kim Jong Un was born in 1982, while others believe the North Korean leader was born in 1983.

Kim Jong Un has an older brother named Jong-chol, but he does not hold any special position in the North Korean government.

According to Vietnamnet.vn