What does Kim Jong-un’ eat
What Type of Food Does Kim Jong-un Eat
Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, is not only known for his authoritarian rule, powerful family lineage, and nuclear ambitions — he is also recognized for his lavish lifestyle, particularly when it comes to his eating habits. While most of North Korea lives in poverty and chronic food shortages, Kim's dining choices reflect the excesses and contradictions of authoritarian leadership. His food preferences, imported luxury items, and daily routines offer a fascinating glimpse into how power, privilege, and isolation operate at the highest levels of North Korean society.
This discussion offers a comprehensive look into the types of food Kim Jong-un eats, categorized into various aspects: his personal preferences, luxurious imports, official banquets, health-related diet choices, symbolism, and public image.
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1. Kim Jong-un’s Dining Habits: An Overview
Unlike the common citizens of North Korea — many of whom survive on subsistence farming, rationed grains, or even wild roots in times of famine — Kim Jong-un enjoys access to the finest global cuisines. His meals are reportedly prepared by top chefs, sometimes trained abroad, and made with ingredients that are imported despite international sanctions.
His food choices reflect:
Luxury and elite tastes.
Global influence, especially French, Swiss, and Japanese cuisines.
Excessive indulgence, often linked to health issues.
Symbolic separation from the suffering masses.
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2. Breakfast Habits and Beverages
Kim’s daily breakfast is reported to be lavish and customized, sometimes including:
Imported cheese and bread (particularly Swiss Emmental cheese).
Cold cuts, cured meats, and luxury sausages.
Exotic jams, honey, and European butter.
He is believed to favor fine coffee, possibly imported from Italy or France.
He often drinks high-quality alcohol early in the day — something almost unheard of in ordinary North Korean society.
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3. Favorite Foods: Known Preferences
Some of Kim Jong-un’s favorite foods, based on defectors’ accounts, intelligence reports, and diplomatic leaks, include:
a) Swiss Cheese (Emmental):
A childhood obsession — Kim studied in Switzerland during his youth.
His love for Swiss cheese became so well known that intelligence agencies cited it as a reason for his weight gain.
b) Sushi:
Kim reportedly developed a taste for high-grade Japanese sushi, especially tuna and fatty salmon.
A Japanese sushi chef, Kenji Fujimoto, worked for Kim’s father and occasionally prepared sushi for the young Kim Jong-un.
Highly marbled, Japanese premium beef.
Smuggled in or acquired via unofficial trading channels.
Classic French luxury items — both are expensive and banned in some countries.
Represent wealth and exclusivity.
e) Shark Fin Soup, Bird’s Nest Soup, and Sea Cucumber:
These are traditional East Asian delicacies, often consumed by elites in China, Korea, and Japan.
Believed to have health-enhancing or virility-boosting effects.
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4. Imported Alcohol and Beverages
Kim Jong-un is infamous for indulging in:
Hennessy Cognac: His father was known to spend over $1 million annually on Hennessy; Kim is believed to continue this trend.
French Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.
Champagne, such as Dom Pérignon.
High-end Scotch whiskies, Japanese Sake, and German beer.
These items often arrive via diplomatic pouches or illegal trade networks despite sanctions.
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5. Official Banquets and State Dinners
When Kim hosts foreign dignitaries or presides over high-level meetings, the meals are extravagant and symbolic, showcasing:
North Korean delicacies such as cold noodles (naengmyeon) from Pyongyang.
Foreign dishes like lobster, foie gras, and stuffed pheasant.
Multi-course meals served in golden utensils or porcelain ware.
Wines from France, beer from Germany, and desserts from Italy.
During the 2018 summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the menu was carefully selected to:
Reflect inter-Korean unity.
Include dishes from both North and South.
Signal peace and diplomacy — such as Pyongyang-style cold noodles flown in fresh.
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6. Food as Political Symbol
Kim’s food choices serve political purposes:
a) Luxury as Legitimacy:
In an authoritarian regime, extravagance equals strength. His luxurious meals convey dominance and untouchable status.
b) Western Cuisine, North Korean Power:
Eating foreign luxury food while rejecting Western ideologies shows power over the West, not subservience to it.
c) Banquets as Propaganda:
Images of Kim eating gourmet food, or hosting foreign guests with expensive wine, are used to show that North Korea is strong and self-sufficient — even when sanctions bite hard.
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7. Health Issues and Dietary Impact
Kim Jong-un has faced several health problems, reportedly linked to:
Obesity: He is estimated to weigh over 300 pounds (136+ kg).
Gout: Possibly from his diet rich in red meat, alcohol, and seafood.
Diabetes or heart disease risks.
His appearance fluctuates — sometimes thinner, sometimes bloated — possibly indicating dietary or medical interventions.
Despite public appearances, insiders claim:
His doctors have advised reduced alcohol and fat intake.
He has tried low-sodium diets, but finds it hard to give up indulgent foods.
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8. Contrasts with North Korean People’s Diet
Kim’s luxurious eating is in stark contrast with his own citizens, most of whom:
Rely on corn, cabbage, potatoes, and Kimchi.
Rarely eat meat.
Face chronic malnutrition, especially in rural areas.
Endure periodic famines, such as the one in the 1990s that killed up to 2 million people.
Meanwhile, Kim's daily calorie intake is likely several times higher than an average citizen’s — symbolizing the enormous inequality and control embedded in the regime.
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9. Food Imports and Sanctions
Despite international UN sanctions meant to restrict luxury goods, Kim continues to import:
French cheeses.
Japanese sea delicacies.
German beers.
South African wines.
European chocolates.
These are smuggled via:
Chinese intermediaries.
Diplomatic channels (unsearched cargo).
Illegal shipping routes and off-the-books trade.
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10. Recent Shifts: Healthier Eating?
In recent years, Kim has appeared slimmer in public photos. Speculations suggest:
A restricted or medically supervised diet.
Fewer alcohol binges.
Introduction of traditional herbal soups or Korean healthy dishes like ginseng chicken (Samgyetang).
Yet, insiders believe these are temporary or staged changes to enhance his public image.
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Conclusion: Food as a Mirror of Power
Kim Jong-un’s eating habits reveal far more than mere taste preferences. They symbolize:
Wealth and privilege in a starving nation.
Power projection through indulgence.
Dynastic continuity, mimicking the lavish habits of Kim Jong-il.
Global defiance, through luxury imports amid sanctions.
A carefully curated image of strength, even if it comes at the cost of personal health.
While millions struggle in his country, Kim’s table is filled with the world’s most expensive delicacies — a glaring reminder that in authoritarian regimes, food isn’t just nutrition — it’s a tool of control, status, and spectacle.
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