Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, speaks during a press conference held to mark the publication of his new book, "What we don't know about Kim Jong-un: his politics and strategy (direct translation)," at Sejong Institute in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, is a longtime observer of North Korea and has closely followed the reclusive regime's two previous successions: before and after Kim Il-sung's sudden death in 1994 and Kim Jong-il's sudden death in 2011.

The in-depth analysis of Kim Jong-un stems from his many years of studying North Korea, both before and after he succeeded his father in 2011.

In his new book, "What We Don't Know About Kim Jong-un: His Politics and Strategy" (direct translation), Cheong claims that Kim was born in an exclusive villa in the Samsok district, northeast of Pyongyang.

"Kim's birthplace is obscured, as it is not mentioned in the unification ministry's publications. Some intelligence specialists have claimed that Kim was born in Wonsan. However, I confirmed through multiple reliable sources that he was born in the Samsok district," he stated during a press conference on Thursday.

Cheong interviewed Kim's maternal aunt and her husband, Ko Yong-suk and Ri Gang, who defected to the U.S. in 1998, while he was on a sabbatical in Washington from October 2020 to March 2021.

According to their testimonies, the young dictator was appointed as Kim Jong-il's successor on his eighth birthday.

Book cover of "What we don't know about Kim Jong-un: his politics and strategy" (direct translation) / Courtesy of Cheong Seong-chang

"Kim Jong-un was officially named the successor on Jan. 8, 1992. Only about 10 close aides who participated in a banquet were aware of this," Cheong said. "By 1995, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (chief policymaking body) authorities knew about the young successor."

Cheong also argued that the North Korean leader doesn't have a son, rejecting reports by the National Intelligence Service that said Kim's son was born in 2010.

"Kim Jong-un's first child is Ju-ae, who has accompanied him to missile tests and military parades. She is most likely his successor. She was born in 2013, and her younger sibling is also believed to be a girl born in 2017," he said, adding that he obtained this information from Joseph Terwilliger, a professor of neurobiology at Columbia University Medical Center, who accompanied retired basketball player Dennis Rodman on his visits to North Korea.

The North Korea expert predicted that a North Korea-U.S. summit may take place as early as the second half of this year.

"There is a possibility that when U.S. President Donald Trump visits South Korea for the APEC summit [this November], he may stop by Pyongyang. If Trump and Kim meet, it is likely that Trump will promise the suspension of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises until the end of his term and reduce the size of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea," he said.

Cheong also said Kim's "biggest enemy" is his health.

"Kim is believed to weigh over 140 kilograms. I wouldn't be surprised if he collapses due to health issues within the next 10 years. My trusted sources have told me that Kim stays up until 5 a.m. to browse military websites. As a result, he's very adept at military strategy but he cannot cut down on his late-night snacks."

The unification ministry declined to confirm or deny Cheong's claims.

"The government is not in a position to comment on a civilian expert's assertions," a senior ministry official said.