Kim Jong Un ranked second among figures on Google Trends

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ranked second among the most searched figures in the world on Google in 2020.

In the rankings of search in the categories of news and games, movies, athletes, actors and others surveyed by Google, Kim Jong Un ranked second in the people category, Voice of America and other outlets reported Sunday. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden was the first.

The main reason behind a surge in search for the North Korean leader is reportedly rumors about his ill health, which surfaced in April. Internet users searched Kim the most around April 26 to May 2, a period when rumors about his bad health conditions were extensively covered by the media.

The words that were searched the most along with Kim Jong Un were “death,” and “is Km Jong Un dead,” which are related to the rumor about his death. Other words that were searched widely in connection with Kim Jong Un were “COVID-19,” “Trump,” “younger sister,” and “Kim Yo Jong.”


Jong-Yeob JO jjj@donga.com