Among the many mysteries surrounding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, one of the most enduring is the life—and ‘forbidden’ origins—of his mother, Ko Yong-hui. In the 15 years since he assumed power, Kim Jong-un has never publicly named her once.
A Legitimacy Built on Myth
Kim’s authoritarian rule rests heavily on his claimed lineage from Mount Paektu—a symbolic birthplace tied to Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea and venerated as the nation’s mythic patriarch. In a country that proudly proclaims its dynastic ‘purity,’ the identity of Kim’s mother isn’t just a secret—it’s a potential threat to the regime itself, according to the BBC.
Mount Paektu: A Sacred Origin Story
Korean mythology begins at Mount Paektu, a volcano straddling the China–North Korea border, said to be the legendary birthplace of Dangun—the mythical founder of Korea’s first kingdom. Centuries later, Kim Il-sung reportedly used the mountain as a guerrilla base during the anti-Japanese resistance. His son, Kim Jong-il, was officially claimed to have been born on its sacred slopes—despite credible reports suggesting he was actually born in the Soviet Union. Since then, the mountain has served as the cornerstone of the Kim dynasty’s political legitimacy.
In North Korean propaganda, loyalists of the ‘Paektu bloodline’ are elevated as pure and heroic—while those deemed ideologically impure are branded jjaepo, a derogatory term for people allegedly tainted by foreign or ‘dangerous’ influences. North Korean society is rigidly hierarchical, and jjaepo families face strict state surveillance, restricted access to elite universities, and exclusion from high-status jobs.
“The Paektu genealogy is considered sacred,” says Kim Hyung-su of the Korea Institute for National Unification. “So the idea that the supreme leader is the son of a jjaepo is utterly unthinkable.”
A Cinderella Story with Consequences
Ko Yong-hui was reportedly a dancer who caught the attention of Kim Jong-il while he was being groomed for succession. At the time, he was already married to Kim Yong-suk—the daughter of a senior military official, chosen by his father. Rumours also suggest he had two other mistresses.
According to Japanese journalist Yoichi Komi, author of a 2025 biography on Ko, she captivated Kim with her natural beauty and dancing talent. Reports indicate he fell deeply in love with her and fathered three children—including Kim Jong-un.
Yet children born outside marriage face severe social stigma in North Korea. While Kim’s official wife lived in Pyongyang, Ko and their children were kept isolated—reportedly over 210 kilometres away, in a secluded compound.