North Korea's state media confirms leader's birthday

North Korea's state news agency has confirmed the birthday of the country's leader Kim Jong-un for the first time as it reported on a basketball game organized by former NBA star Dennis Rodman. Kim's birthday was long believed to be on Jan. 9, though the North's state media had been mum on it. Rodman said that he organized a game between former NBA players and a North Korean team to celebrate Kim's birthday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported on late Wednesday. Still, the KCNA dispatch did not mention the exact year when Kim was born. Kim is believed to have been born in 1984, though there is a possibility that the North may claim he was born in 1982 in what could be an attempt to justify the dynastic power succession. Kim's late father, long-time leader Kim Jong-il was born in 1942, and his late grandfather, the country's founder Kim Il-sung, was born in 1912. The North has designated the birthdays of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il as the two most important holidays in the communist country, though there is no sign yet to make Kim Jong-un's birthday another state holiday. Kim watched the basketball game at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, along with his wife Ri Sol-ju and three senior officials, according to the KCNA. Kim said that the game served as a good occasion to promote the understanding between the people of North Korea and the United States, the KCNA said.