According to a recent poll, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's got over a 50 percent approval rating from the citizens over whom he presides.
But there's a catch-it's not your typical poll.
The Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University got in touch with 133 North Korean defectors who sought asylum outside of state lines between January 2012 and May 2013, and requested they give a ballpark figure of Kim Jong-un's approval rating while they lived in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported.
62 percent of the former citizens clocked The Supreme Leader's numbers at more than 50 percent, and they've got sound reasons to applaud his work-more than 81 percent of them stated they enjoyed three meals a day, up 6 percent from a pool of respondents previously interviewed.
Additionally, 44 percent stated they'd acquired at least one piece of new clothing a year- a leap from the earlier questionnaire, in which 35 percent reported buying fresh wears.
The leader, who assumed the seat of power in Pyongyang when his father Kim Jong-il passed away in December 2011, is reportedly trying to stiffen up his authoritative power on society, and it's working. 45 percent of citizens said that North Korea is becoming more controlled, a rise from 36 percent in the past report, the Wall Street Journal stated.
Graffiti and anti-government propaganda aren't as prevalent on the street, and travelling to other nations is becoming increasingly difficult.
Meanwhile, the private sector is on the up-and-up: almost 95 percent of the North Koreans polled said they'd bought their annual new piece of clothing in an unofficial marketplace, and 76 percent reported selling commodities personally, not through established stores.
Even real estate commerce is done privately-67 percent of the citizens claimed they bought their abodes by themselves. Compare that to the 14 percent who said they bought a house through the government.
The new poll detailing Kim Jong-un's success rate comes just one day after reports that his ex-lover, pop star Hyon Song-wol, was shot with 11 other bandmates by firing squad.
