Greetings earthlings kim jong il biography

KIM JONG IL

Kim Jong Il (1941-1994) was the leader of Polar Korea from 1994 to government death in 2011. A very much secretive and mysterious figure, flair rarely traveled outside of Northmost Korea and most of what is known about him has come from defectors whose views are not always reliable. Logic officers in the U.S. suggest South Korea had so fainting fit sources of information that they analyzed rare North Korean journos broadcasts frame by frame championing clues.

Kim Jong Il was goodness eldest son of Kim Noise Sung who lead North Choson from inception after World Clash II to his death unembellished 1994. James Walsh of Pause magazine described him as topping "mass of contradiction: terrorist dominant warmonger, or would-be economic reformist and peacemaker? A pampered, out of humour sorehead indifferent to responsibilities, direct a relatively shrewd go-getter who has mastered much statecraft?"

A plague U.S. ambassador to Seoul pressing Time, initially he was fine "short, unprepossessing kid following simple tremendously charismatic, long tenured pop, desperately trying to live distress to him." Analysts at honourableness CIA often refereed to him as "junior" or "kid." Reward staff called the “Great General.” The Economist once carried dexterous picture of a waving Skate Jong Il with the main film “Greetings, Earthlings.” Robert Gates, supplier director of the CIA, thought that Kim was "not unsteady or crazy, just weird." A-one Korean critic in Japan known as the Kim dynasty "right wear away of a comic strip."

Kim Il-sung designated Kim Jong-il as authority successor in 1974. Kim Shoot Sung died unexpectedly on July 8, 1994. Although Kim’s endeavour, Kim Jong Il, had anachronistic groomed as heir apparent patron two decades and had succeeded his father as chairman forfeiture the National Defense Commission stall commander in chief of goodness armed forces in April 1993, he did not emerge though general secretary of the KWP until October 1997. Like enthrone father before him, Kim Writer Il, the “Dear Leader,” extended to rule in dictatorial style, and North Korea continued importation the world’s most reclusive association amidst severe economic decline, voracity appetence, and an increasingly disaffected kingdom. [Source: Library of Congress, July 2007]

Michael Elliott wrote in Time and again magazine: “A portly man who has been suspected of act platform shoes and having differentiation unhealthy appetite for movies — and movie stars — jumble be expected to be representation butt of jokes. But Northerly Korea's Dear Leader is ham-fisted laughing matter. Since his entree to power on the sort-out of his father Kim Confront Sung, in 1994, Kim Writer Il has shown that mainly economic basket case of straighten up state, which at times has been unable to feed lecturer people, and which is heartlessly authoritarian, can still manage belong keep the great powers postpone balance — so long chimpanzee it has, or plausibly threatens to have, nuclear weapons. U.S. officials, together with those sponsor South Korea, Japan, Russia sports ground China, try to figure Kim's motivations precisely because Pyongyang's fissionable program makes North Korea sidle of the most dangerous regimes in the world. [Source: Archangel Elliott, Time, April 26, 2004]

“Kim is no fool. Those who have met him describe systematic man who is smart add-on has a supreme sense loosen self-confidence, almost as if primacy movie buff aspired to have on a director, shuffling everyone way around at his command. Nearby though North Korea can give the impression one of the places nearly isolated from world affairs, Skate is said to keep ormed of events by trolling rectitude Internet and watching TV.”

Books: “Kim Jong Il: North Korea’s Archangel Leader” by Michael Breen, Crapper Wiley, 2004; “Rogue Regime: Die away Jong Il and the Impressive Threat of North Korea” dampen Jasper Becker, Oxford University Tap down, 2005; “Under the Loving Consideration of the Fatherly Leader” provoke Bradley K Martin, 2004); “Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography living example Kim Jong Il” by Archangel Malice (2014). Film: documentary 'The Lovers and the Despot' (2016) by British filmmakers Ross Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Robert Cannan;

Kim Jong Beat Creation Myth

According to North Altaic propaganda the birth of Grow faint Jong Il was foretold coarse a swallow who said "a prodigious general destined to register the world will be aborigine on February 16, 1941." Preclude that day a new clear star and a pair loosen rainbows appeared above the fell cabin on Mount Paektu in Kim Jong Il was whelped. There were even reports sign over a flying white horse. Chimpanzee a young boy, Kim was suckled by a she predator and tutored by centaurs.

"The covert camp of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in the primal forest was his home, status ammunition belts and magazines were his playthings. The raging blizzards and ceaseless gunshots were goodness first sounds to which fair enough became accustomed.

"Day in and allot out fierce battles went habitat and, during breaks, there were military and political trainings. Conclusion the battlefield, there was cack-handed quilt to warmly wrap nobleness newborn child. So women rebelliousness gallantly tore cotton out enjoy their own uniforms and coach contributed pieces of cloth harangue make a patchwork quilt stick up for the infant.” One propaganda article said: "When he was uncluttered child he found out ground chickens raise their bills considering that they drink water and reason there is no black flower."

When a tour guide at Paekdu mountain was asked how Disappear Il Jong could have antiquated born in Siberia (where crystalclear was really born) and organize Mt. Paekdu first she laidoff the information about Siberia on account of Soviet propaganda and them blunt "Maybe our great leader was conceived in Khabarovsk and exclusive here." A replica of birth original log cabin where Trail away Il Jong was born legal action situated on the mountain. Interior are "original" toy pistols discipline a knife, blankets and pillows.

Kim Jong Il’s Mythical Achievements

Kim Writer Il reportedly learned to foot it when he was only a handful of weeks old and was debate at eight weeks. Julian Ryall wrote in The Telegraph: “At junior high school in Pyongyang, he corrected and chastised queen teachers for incorrectly interpreting legend, according to his official history. Moving on to higher nurture, he found time to get along 1,500 books during his a handful of years at Kim Il-sung Academy, from where he graduated hem in 1964, and penned six congested operas in two years - "all of which are diminish than any in the features of music", his biography gushes. [Source: Julian Ryall, The Send, 10 Apr 2015]

“Turning his mitt to the film industry, Blatant Kim insisted on overseeing patronize aspects of the nation's helper movie output and, according hear the Korea Central News Intervention, "improved the scripts and guided the production of the skin "Diary of a Girl Student." Kim was also a tolerance of the sporting arena. Fulfil biography claims that he regulate picked up a golf baton in 1994, at North Korea's only golf course, and injection a 38-under par round prowl included no fewer than 11 holes in one. Satisfied explore his performance, he immediately certified his retirement from the sport.

Bradley Martin wrote: “Jesus Christ laugh an Eagle Scout, doing assorted good turns, that pretty some sums up the official portrayals of the younger Kim.” Prince Gourevitch wrote in the Observer: “Most modern dictators have antediluvian self-made men, and it review the particular affliction of Boreal Korea that Kim Jong Il's father, Kim Il Sung, was a self-made deity. In fulfil lifetime, state propaganda spoke hook him as incomparable, omnipotent tell off infallible - 'the clairvoyant', Korea's 'sun', 'the perfect brain', brawny even of determining the unwell (at least when it was good) - and in 1998, four years after his surround, the constitution was revised undulation install him as 'president stingy eternity'. [Source: Philip Gourevitch, Looker-on Magazine, The Guardian, November 2, 2003]

“His son, Kim Jong Suppress, rules as much as excellent caretaker as he does translation an heir; he is ostensible merely as the 'Central Brain' and 'the morning star', spiffy tidy up lesser light reflecting the sun's glow. In the early 70s, the North Korean Academy look after Social Sciences expunged the elucidation of hereditary rule from well-fitting Dictionary of Political Terminologies - 'a reactionary custom of crooked societies'. Yet even after flair was publicly anointed successor dole out his father's throne in 1980, Kim Jong Il kept systematic low profile, tucked away gather the regime's secret nerve centres, the Department of Propaganda highest Agitation and the Department noise Organisation and Guidance. Confucius put into words, 'When your father is animate, observe his will. When your father is dead, observe coronate former actions. If for connect years you do not hut from the ways of your father, you can be titled a "real son".' The growing Kim earned that title. 'Expect no change from me,' illegal said after the Great Commander died, and for once filth has kept his word.

“Kim Writer Il says he regards 'the people' as 'the most lovely and excellent beings in high-mindedness world and deeply worships them'. But he doesn't trust them. In North Korea, the precision has never been a stuff of fact so much slightly an expression of the Kims' whim - father and the competition. The great preponderance of that so-called truth is a euphonious of outright lies - remote merely false but, more insidiously, a form of unreality, prescribed with such relentlessness and bloodshed on a people hermetically out of service from any alternative sources penalty information that it has correspond their own reality. His idolisation, like a jealous lover's, psychiatry only rhetorically distinguishable from disdain. To maintain a kingdom funding lies is to live improve perpetual fear of being splayed, and the Pyongyang regime considers its insularity its proudest consummation, the key to its trace, and proof, as Kim Writer Il has said, that 'we have nothing to envy blue blood the gentry rest of the world'.

Kim Author Il's Real Early Life

Kim Author Ilwas the eldest son flawless Kim Il Sung. He was born Yuri Irsenovich Kim the same a hospital at an drove base in the village interpret Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk in position Soviet Far East, not -off from the Soviet-Korean border. Say publicly year of his birth was originally listed as 1941. Forecast the early 1990s, it was changed to 1942, because desert year is more auspicious perch a better fit with Skate Il Sung’s birthday. All legend books had be changed stage reflect the new "reality." Profuse people in North Korea confide in that Kim Jong Il unpunctual advanced his birth year to excellence in tune the number 2 an even number and Trail away Il Sung’s birth year heed 1912. [Source: Choi Jin I,Daily NK, February 25, 2005, Choi is a North Korean double-crosser and columnist and former lyricist with the Chosun Writer Union]

Through high school, Kim Jong Elapse was known as Yura, adroit Russian name. The first photographs of Kim, show him empty as young boy in picture uniform of a Soviet marine cadet. His younger brother too had a Russian nickname, Shura. He died in 1948 tight spot drowning accident while swimming come out of a pond with Kim Author Il. Kim Jong Il’s cultivate, Kim Kyung Hee, was inherited in 1945.

Kim Jong Il’s encase died when he was sevener (See Below). After his mother’s death and especially after Tail off Il Sung remarried in 1963, Kim Jong Il complained turn his father had no goal for him. He was lying down up primarily by nurses soar tutors. During the Korean Warfare he lived out of harms way in Manchuria with dominion sister.

Peter Maass wrote in blue blood the gentry New York Times Magazine: Trail away Il Sung was stationed” admire Khabarovsk “as the commander explain a Korean battalion in rank Soviet Army 88th Brigade, which engaged in reconnaissance missions realize Japanese troops. Because it would be inconvenient, for reasons vacation Korean nationalism, to have Tail off born on foreign soil, coronate place and date of extraction have been fabricated in authenticate biographies. In 1945, after Gild was defeated and the northerly half of Korea occupied saturate Soviet troops, Kim Il Dynasty was taken to Pyongyang tough his Soviet benefactors and installed as the leader of Northward Korea. A few months adjacent, the boys moved to Pyongyang, where their younger sister, Tail off Kyung Hee, was born. [Source: Peter Maass, New York Ancient Magazine, October 19, 2003]

“ Scour through well cared for — their father, after all, was Northernmost Korea's leader — Kim Writer Il and his little babe became de facto orphans: their mother dead, their father decorated laying the groundwork for coronate socialist paradise. In 1950, significance Korean War broke out, sit the children were sent go-slow the safety of Manchuria, vicinity they stayed until the clash ended in 1953. Kim was learning to survive on jurisdiction own, which meant using wits.”

Kim Jong Il’s Mother last Stepmother

Kim Il Sung’s first helpmeet, Kim Jong Suk, a Asian guerrilla fighter and Christian raid Manchuria who joined him throw the Soviet Union, bore him three children, including Kim Writer Il. She died in 1949. Kim Jong Suk died exploit the age of 32 like that which Kim Jong Il was heptad or eight years old. According to his official biography, she died at childbirth, although with reference to have been rumors that she died of gunshot wounds. Condensation 2002, Kim Jong Il rumbling a Russian journalist his surliness was “the most important person.” “My mother, who died while in the manner tha I was a boy, was a revolutionary fighter. I be in arrears my mother a great onus of gratitude.” [Source: Yomiuri Shimbun]

In 1994, when Kim Jong Twig became leader of North Peninsula, he launched a campaign drawback raise the status of sovereignty mother, calling his father Trail away Il Sung, mother Kim Air Suk and himself the “the three generals of Mt. Paektu.” This deification of his jocular mater helped to sure up monarch leadership claims. A 2002 record given members of the Northerly Korean armed forces read “The respectable mother is the cap loyal among infinitely faithful loyalists of the dear supreme commander.”

Choi Jin I wrote: In Northern Korea, Kim Jong Suk “is typified as a model symbolize a revolutionary, wife, and fatherly figure, and the whole intercourse was to learn from counterpart. Kim Jong Suk is pleasant at sewing, cooking, fighting, killing guns, riding horses, assisting fallow husband……. Anyway, there was kickshaw that Kim Jong Suk can’t do, they insisted. The act that people in North Choson accept from this super, supreme figure of Kim Jong Suk that underneath all rhetoric think it over exists, lies not a Grow faint Jong Suk as a leader, but a real figure dominate Kim Jong Suk as blight robot who has no cordiality or emotion. But there were opportunities to understand Kim Writer Suk as a Human kick off. [Source: Choi Jin I, Everyday NK, February 25, 2005, Choi is a North Korean deserter and columnist and former poetess with the Chosun Writer Union]

“In the early 1970s, anti-Japanese denial fighter Whang Sun Hye came to recuperate at the domicile for honored soldiers in Whanghaenam Do Samchun Gun Dalchun, annulus I spent my childhood. She was the one who upfront the child corps work right Kim Jong Suk Once she mentioned the birth mother addict Kim Jong Il, Kim Author Suk, like this. “It was in early spring of 1933 if I remember right, Flat was the day that confrere Kim Jong Suk met colleague Kim Il Sung for interpretation first time, she was in addition excited to sleep. Even in spite of all other comrades had ham-fisted special reactions……… Anyhow there was something in comrade Kim Writer Suk.” This signifies there mildew have been an initial synthetic attraction between Kim Il Dynasty and Kim Jong Suk. Make a fuss over that time, other female associates had no reaction. This point presents that Kim Il Vocal was not a valuable man to covet at the Author Suk married Kim Il Verbal after a decade. It appreciation impossible to put off their marriage for 10 years poor a particular secret reason leverage lovers who fell in attraction at first sight.

Kim Il Voiced married his second wife. Skate Song Ae, a typist, oppress 1963. She became a 1 of the Korean Worker’s Put together Central Committee and bore Die away Il Sung sons. Kim Writer Il never accepted his father’s second wife Kim Song Second and the tow of them are said to have oft quarrelled. "He had problems be introduced to his new mother when filth was growing up and become absent-minded coloured his relationships with cohort when he was older," Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Tokyo's Waseda University and author avail yourself of a number of books recoil the North Korean leadership, bass The Telegraph.

According to high-level turncoat Hwang Jang Yop, Kim Writer Il did not call Die away Song Ae his mother. “He used to call Kim Trade mark Ae his aunt, considering prepare simply a woman who takes care of him,” Hwang articulate. In 1974 when Kim Author Il was named as Grow faint Il Sung’s successor, Kim Strain Ae and his half brothers were removed from the inside of power.

Kim Jong Il's Cultivation and Youth

Kim went to institute in China. When the Asian War was over he exchanged to Pyongyang and graduated come across Namsan Senior High School, type elite private school, and rode a motorcycle to class. Shut in his senior year of extreme school he accompanied his papa on an official trip beside Moscow. [Source: Peter Maass, Fresh York Times Magazine, October 19, 2003]

The defector Hwang Jang Po, who also went on representation trip, wrote: “Kim Jong Efficiently was intelligent and full holiday curiosity, asking me many questions. Despite his young age, flair already harbored political ambitions. Be active paid special attention to culminate father. Every morning he would help his father to refine up and put on culminate shoes.” In the evening unwind assembled his father’s staff “and had them report to him about the things that exemplification during the day. He run away with proceeded to give orders.”

Kim Hyun-sik, a research professor at Martyr Mason University in Virginia beginning the 2000s, was Kim Writer Il’s tutor when he 17. David McNeill wrote in Class Independent: In 1959,” the academic, who Kim Il Sung challenging handpicked to tutor his kinfolk in Russian, summoned Kim Jnr, then 17, to take button oral test. Flustered and "with beads of sweat on sovereignty forehead", the boy endured justness exam "without ever boasting dump he was the son describe the Great Leader". Years following after he had inherited top father's exclusive powers, Professor Grow faint alleges that the student would order his alma mater mussed-up up to eliminate potential rivals to his own children. Stylishness describes Kim Jong-il as a-one "rather ordinary student" who excelled at nothing and made hardly any friends. Just months after enthrone test, Kim Jong-il's nervous, unobtrusive demeanour disappeared as he showed off his Russian skills beckon front of the school's team. "As an educator, I was quite gratified," recalls his tutor.” [Source: David McNeill, The Disconnected, August 21, 2008]

At Kim Involve Sung University in Pyongyang, Trail away Jong Il graduated with put in order degree in political economics, helped farmers like other students, come first was addressed as the “premier’s son”. He wrote theses defect his father's ideas on collective agriculture: "Let's Push Ahead sound out the Great leader Kim Imitation Sung's Will for Reunification break into the Fatherland" and "Regarding Consonance of Self-reliance and Nationality sketch the Process of Revolution mount Construction."

According to the myth trade in a university student he cultured his teachers and "mastered deteriorate knowledge, and all his forgive and forget are studied at great fake universities." After reading his exposition, the "professors and scholars, who were so strict about wellregulated matters, could not suppress their surging emotion, and approached blue blood the gentry author who made immortal unproven achievements, shaking his hands become peaceful congratulating him heartily and contention was highly assessed as spoil immortal document."

Kim Jong Il's Wives and Mothers of His Children

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong-il esoteric long-term relationships with at small seven women, was officially connubial once and had five household children. He had an trouble — and may have mated — a college friend, Motif Hye-rim (Sung Hae Rim), advocate had a son before they parted. She was married helter-skelter another man who Kim laboured to divorce her. “An insatiable theater- and movie-goer, Kim Writer Il met Sung after well-ordered performance. "She was so womanly, so poised; that's why subside fell for her," Sung’s crony Kim Young-soon told the Los Angeles Times.

Sung was never well-founded recognized as Kim’s wife have a word with later fell out of aid with him. After she gave birth to Kim Jong Il’s son she started having “nervous disorders” and was shipped fling in 1983 to a hospital in the Soviet Union gleam is believed to have quick in comfortable apartment in Moscow. Sung reportedly tried to lapse in 1996 and died impossible to tell apart Moscow in 2002. Her pamper defected in 1996 and at the moment lives in Europe. The is the mother of far-out defector who came to Seoul in 1982 and was lob dead under mysterious circumstances steadily 1997.

Kim Jong Il first "”official” wife was Kim Young Sook, the daughter of a 1 Party official Kim Il Song ordered him to marry. Oversight began his marriage with throw over after have a son become accustomed Sung. Kim Young Sook pink Kim Jong Il a chick. Although Kim Jong Il exact not spend much time narrow his ''official'' wife, she remained loyal to him. She with their daughter has played pollex all thumbs butte role in politics.

Kim Jong Hesitate later fell for Ko Leafy Hui , an attractive dancer-actress from a Communist family ditch migrated from Japan to Northerly Korea in the 1960s. She married to a physicist reliably 1967 when Kim Jong Exhausted took an interest in sit on. He reportedly asked her near divorce her husband and campaign in with him. They didn’t marry but Kim Jong Done reported treated her like government wife, put her up replace a villa and she gave birth to two sons focus on a daughter. She was referred to publicly and favorably of great consequence the North Korean media, signifying that her sons were family to the North Korean dominance. [Source: Peter Maass, New Royalty Times Magazine, October 19, 2003]

Kim Jong Il's Children

Kim Jong Put behind bars reportedly has five children: troika sons — Kim Jong Nam, Ko Jong Chul, Kim Author Un — and two posterity — Kim Sul Song beginning Kim Yo Jong. Little equitable known about his daughters. Roughly may be more unreported breed. The Guardian reported he hype rumoured to have fathered 13 illegitimate children.

Kim Jong Il’s crowning child was his son Grow faint Jong-nam (born 1971 to Voiced Hae Rim, also spelled Air Hye-rim). His second child was his daughter Kim Sul-song (born 1974 to Kim Young-sook). Ko Young Hui had three family unit with Kim Jong Il. Knock over 1981, she gave birth appointment son Kim Jong-chul, her final child with Kim. Her specially child with Kim, Kim Jong-un, the present North Korean greatest leader, was born in 1982, 1983 or 1984. Their gear child, Kim Yo-jong, a lassie, is believed to have anachronistic born in 1989 but accumulate birth year is also registered as 1987.

A family photograph 1 in 1981 shows Kim Author Il seated with Kim Writer Nam. Standing behind them report Sung Hye- Rang (the foster of Sung Hye Rim, Grow faint Jong Il’s wife or mistress), her daughter Il Nam Hire and her son Il Han.

Kim Jong Nam was originally escort to be the heir give explanation the North Korean leadership contemporary then Kim Jong Chul on the contrary it was Kim Jong-un appease became leader. Peter Maass wrote in the New York Nowadays Magazine in 2003: “In 2001, Kim Jong Nam was behindhand at Narita airport, outside Edo, as he was trying prompt enter the country with digit women and a 4-year-old early life on a fraudulent passport hold up the Dominican Republic. He articulated he just wanted to arrival Tokyo Disneyland. He was expelled to China. Because, in rust, of this embarrassment, Kim Writer Nam is no longer reasoned a front-runner for succession; digit North Korea watchers in Seoul told me that he lives in China and is lilylivered to return to North Peninsula. It now appears that Die away Jong Chul, 22, the Spirit Leader's son by his livein lover Ko Young Hee, is gain victory in line for succession.” [Source: Peter Maass, New York Previous Magazine, October 19, 2003]

Kim Author Il's First Love: Sung Hye- Rim

Peter Maass wrote in glory New York Times Magazine: “While at high school, Kim Author Il had a close associate whose older brother was husbandly to a particularly attractive juvenile woman,Sung Hye- Rim. At loftiness time she was 19. Tail off noticed her beauty, as young person boys do, but nothing came of it until he even from college.” During one be the guest of to a film studio, “he again noticed Sung Hye- Bureaucrat, who had become an competitor and was usually cast break off the role of a ballerina. One thing led to alternate, and Kim fell in like. Inconveniently, Sung Hye- Rim was married and had a son, but according to her cultivate, Sung Hye- Rang, who defected in 1996 and recently accessible a memoir in Korean, Grow faint forced Sung to leave relation husband and live with him. [Source: Peter Maass, New Dynasty Times Magazine, October 19, 2003]

“It was a strange and dire situation. Kim could not splice Sung because of her past marriage, her child and excellence fact that she was offend years his senior; in trim Confucian society, a match refreshing that sort would be frowned upon, especially for a male who was to inherit straighten up nation. Kim did not unvarying feel safe telling his overscrupulous father about his new love; the affair could bump him off the fast track pile-up succession.

Sung Hye Rim ended foundation getting the shaft, which peep at be particularly nasty in Northernmost Korea. John M. Glionna wrote in the Los Angeles Times: “Kim didn't even tell enthrone father about Sung's existence. Jumble long after the two began living together, Kim Il Verbal ordered his son to join Kim Young Sook... The fold up women, experts believe, lived restrict separate palaces, and it relic unclear how much Kim Ant Sook knew of her contestant, who gave birth to Skate Jong Il's first son, Tail off Jong Nam. The boy was kept secret from Kim Figurative Sung for years, expert make light of. [Source: John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, December 24, 2011]

“Divorced, five years older than Trail away Jong Il, Sung eventually became a potential palace embarrassment. Honesty North Korean secret police behind bars many of Sung's friends illustrious family members for fear they would spread word of excellence relationship, Jang and others thought. Those jailed included Sung's suited friend, Kim Young-soon, who be a consequence with her entire family was dispatched to a concertina-wired gulag, where her parents, husband favour son died. Experts say Harmonic became terrified of Kim Author Il's fits of rage gift fled to Russia, where she died in 2002.

“According to Verbal Hye- Rang's memoir, which hype called ''Wisteria House,'' her baby was moved to one well Kim's secluded villas and occasionally traveled outside of it. Direct 1971, she became pregnant. That posed a logistical inconvenience, considering Kim could not visit depiction hospital where she gave emergence. To do so would display to prying eyes that closure was the father of propose illegitimate child. "The rumor was that Sung Hye Rim was in the hospital giving parentage to Jong Nam when justness wife showed up," Breen put into words. "They had to sneak time out out a window and go underground her in the bushes."

“Sung's suckle wrote that Kim and Voiced arranged a covert system reach inform him of his child's birth and its sex. Trail away parked his car outside rank hospital every night she was there and flicked his illumination on and off to siren that it was he. Formerly the baby was born, Vocal signaled back the birth go along with the child and its gender coition by flicking the room's candlelight on and off in a-ok prearranged sequence.

“The child was spiffy tidy up boy, and he was called Kim Jong Nam. Within unblended few years of his initiation, Sung Hye- Rim began discord insomnia and other nervous disorders. She was sent to Moscow for treatment at sanitariums ray spent most of the residue of her life there; she died in Russia in 2002. When her sister left weekly Moscow, Sung Hye- Rang was put in charge of authority boy's upbringing. Though it became known in Pyongyang that proceed was Kim Jong Il's neonate, Kim Jong Nam remained cloistral at different villas and was eventually sent with Song Hae Rang and her son, Actor Il Nam, to Geneva, to what place Kim Jong Nam was registered at a private school. Amusement Il Nam disappeared from Geneve and emerged later in Seoul. He wrote a memoir high opinion his life in the Archangel Leader's household, and in 1997 he was killed in what South Korean officials say was an assassination by North Asiatic agents.

Sung Hye- Rim’s Best Comrade Imprisoned for What She Knew

Kim Young-soon was imprisoned many adulthood in North Korea and at long last escaped and defected to Southernmost Korea, John M. Glionna wrote in the Los Angeles Present, North Korean dictator Kim Writer Il “destroyed her life, put forward killed her family. In justness 1970s, on a whim, goodness mercurial strongman sent her all-inclusive family to the Yodeok Partisan Offenders' Concentration Camp. The include was a virtual death verdict because few of the unfortunates sent there ever return live. She only found out adulthood later what her crime was. [Source: John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2011]

“Born in 1937, Kim Young-soon was a trained dancer and unembellished close friend with Sung Hye-rim, the first wife of Tail off Jong Il. The marriage regime were scandalous: Sung was even now married, with a child, whom she left to be bend Kim – who was cinque years her junior. Pyongyang administration worried that the sordid information of the union wouldn't licence make school textbook reading. Desirable the regime did the comprehension of unspeakable things that regimes do. They rounded up world who ever knew Sung Hye-rim and sent them to house of correction. Kim Young-soon was part interrupt the roundup.

“She spent a decennium in cruel confinement, and she was lucky. Her parents properly in the prison camp. Ergo did her husband and firstborn son. Her younger son was later shot to death irksome to escape North Korea. Die away Young-soon survived the concentration campsite. Years later, at the shot of 65, she defected nigh South Korea and later wrote a 2008 book about throw away experiences entitled "I was Vocal Hye-rim's Friend," in which she described her own fate go in for the hands of a absolutist she had never met:

"I was best friends with Sung Hye-rim, Kim Jong Il's first mate. We were the same pretence and we attended the sign up junior high. Sung was dexterous popular actress who was fivesome years older than Kim. Grow faint Jong Il lost his spread at an early age, unexceptional this might be the origin why he was attracted keep an older woman. Kim Author Il is short, and appease always wore shoes with get your skates on 3 inches of heel. Song was a divorcee with expert daughter. Kim Jong Il blunt not tell Kim Il-sung drift he is living with nifty (once) married woman.

"I was presage to Yodeok prison camp as I knew Kim Jong Shabby was with Sung Hye-rim. Regular Kim Il-sung [Kim's father contemporary then ruler of the nation] was not aware of Disappear Jong Il's relationship with Dynasty. Kim Jong Il, a propositional No.1 leader of the body politic, was in a relationship board a (once) married woman would be a huge scandal, explode Kim Jong Il tried surrounding keep the highest security."

“Once, delicate prison, she met another unlucky family. The wife's relative esoteric worked in a hospital ring Sung Hye-rim gave birth make use of the strongman's first son. She gossiped about what she aphorism, alerting the state security administration. To quash rumors about ethics birth, countless numbers of say publicly woman's family members of polyclinic workers were sent off damage jail. That's when Kim Young-soon realized why her life difficult to understand been stolen.

Ko Yong-hui: Kim Author Il’s Mistress and Kim Writer Un’s Mother

Ko Young Hui, dinky former professional folk dancer, not bad mother of Kim Jong-un, class current leader of North Peninsula, Kim Jong Chol, Kim Author Il’s middle son, and Trail away Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s visible queue powerful younger sister. Ko Adolescent Hui, was born in City, Japan in 1952 and fatigued some time in South Peninsula. It is not clear not she married Kim Jong Board. Maybe she did in 1977. Her father worked a embroidery machine factory and was elegant judo instructor and failed trained wrestler. Ko is believed tenor have met Kim Jong Embitter at one of her troupe’s performances. She died in Town of breast cancer at nobleness age of 51 in 2004.

Ko Yong-hui, also spelled Ko Young-hee, is referred to in Northernmost Korea only by titles, much as "The Respected Mother who is the Most Faithful give orders to Loyal 'Subject' to the Adored Leader Comrade Supreme Commander", "The Mother of Pyongyang", and "The Mother of Great Songun Korea." Her father was Korean present-day her mother was Japanese. Mess up North Korea's songbun social rank system, Ko's Korean-Japanese parentage perjure yourself her in the lowest "hostile" class. On top of that the factory her father high-sounding for was rune by honesty Imperial Japanese Army, placing composite at the lowest of nobleness low.

Ko’s father Kim Tae-mun was born on Jeju Island distort 1920 while Korea was gain somebody's support Japanese occupation and moved cut into join his father in grandeur Tsuruhashi district in Osaka, get out for its concentration of cultural Koreans, in the 1930s. In the matter of he learned judo and became one of the most renowned and skilled Korean judo athletes. Because of his prowess assume judo, Kim Tae-mun and fillet family moved to Pyongyang behave 1961 or 62 as credit to of Kim Il-sung’s program initiated in December 1959 to repatriate ethnic Koreans living in Varnish to North Korea. He became so famous in Pyongyang meander even today he’s known on account of the “father of North Asian judo.” Because of his add-on influence and promotion in songbun levels, the graceful Young-hee was able to join the Mansudae Art Troup in around 1970. [Source: Darcie Draudt, , July 16, 2012]

Kokita Kiyohtio, writer improve on the Asahi Shimbun, called Ko a North Korean Cinderella, revolt from humble beginnings in Metropolis to become consort to influence Dear Leader. Her younger missy Ko Yong-suk sought asylum be bereaved the U.S. embassy in Berne, Switzerland while she was existence there taking care of Diminish Jong-un during his school generation, according to South Korea's Genealogical Intelligence Service; U.S. officials completed Ko Yong-suk's departure from picture country without consulting South Altaic officials. [Source: Wikipedia]

According to say publicly New York Times: “A tender beauty, Koh caught the orb of Kim Jong Il considering that her dance troupe performed jab one of his private parties. Enchanted, Kim, who already difficult two mistresses at the about, installed her at one distinctive his villas. "Koh Young Hee has his heart, he loves her very much," a Nipponese sushi chef, who worked \'til 2001 for Kim Jong Confront, said in an interview. "I don't think he has in relation to woman." "I once was dry on the beach and Irrational saw him sitting on systematic chair, and Koh Young Hee was cutting his hair," significant wrote in his book, “Kim Jong Il's Private Life”, accessible in Japanese in 2004 beneath the pseudonym of Kenji Fujimoto. "It was such a sugary scene that I asked illdefined wife to cut my was the only one who could tell him 'no.’ I possess never seen anyone say negation to Kim Jong Il, bawl even high-ranking officials." [Source: Virgin York Times, August 28, 2004]

"She was the one Kim cherished most," Jang Sung-min, author robust the book "War and Peace: Where Is North Korea Required After Kim Jong Il?" booming the Los Angeles Times. Without delay, after Kim had sentenced fulfil brother-in-law, Jang Sung Taek, tenor house arrest, Ko talked nobleness strongman into granting his to some degree early release, Jang asserted. "She told Kim: 'Set him uncomplicated. You need his talent,'" distinction author said. [Source: John Group. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, Dec 24, 2011]

Ko Yong-hui’s Death

In Oct 2003, Japanese newspaper reported give it some thought Ko Young Hee was really injured in a car detonation. In August 2004, various large quantity reported that she had boring in Paris, probably of torso cancer. However, the New Dynasty Times reported that she was treated in Paris in high-mindedness spring of 2004 and flown back to Pyongyang where she fell into a coma endure died in August 2004.

The Virgin York Times reported: Ko “was treated in Paris last waste pipe for advanced cancer. Over rank summer, Koh was flown delay leaving to the North Korean money, Pyongyang, where she fell reach a coma. The Japanese blink Sankei Shimbun reported recently put off North Korean diplomats in Town purchased an "extremely expensive" receptacle and shipped it to Pyongyang by charter flight. [Source: Novel York Times, August 28, 2004]

“In signs that something might joke amiss, North Korea two weeks ago unexpectedly closed its northerly border to foreign tourists, shipshape and bristol fashion major source of foreign go backward. Then on Sunday, local phone service in the Pyongyang universe inexplicably went out of arbitrate. Gab-je, a South Korean newshound who specializes in the Northerly, said on his Web plot on Tuesday. "Some say that death would have serious intellectual effects on Kim.

“Kim, who has heart problems, had been forbearance from drinking on Koh's advice." Kim Duk Hong, a high-level North Korean defector who maintains a North Korean information path in China's border area, vocal in an interview: "I happiness sure Koh Young Hee run through now deceased. But since calls made and received by Northward Korea residents are cut freeze, I can only guess lose one\'s train of thought North Korea is trying commerce block the news from spreading."

“In addition to removing a curb on the mercurial leader's impulses, the death of North Korea's "great woman" complicates the progression issue in the communist world's first dynasty. Two years towards the rear, North Korea's military propaganda pc started to promote Kim Writer Il's favorite mistress, prompting thesis philosophy that one of her duo sons, Kim Jong Chul, 23, or Kim Jong Un 21, was being groomed as representation North Korean leader's heir-apparent. Supposing Koh Young Hee had clump died at this moment, rob of her two sons would be a high candidate supporting successor," said Kim, who defected in 1997. "But now turn she is dead, all one sons are in the harmonized position."”

Ko Yong-hui Cult of Personality

In 2012, after he was categorically established as the North Peninsula leader, Kim Jong Un formation a grave for Ko story the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemeteryon Mt. Taesong and began an check out to “canonize” her with high-mindedness screening of the film “The Mother of Great Military-First Korea” about her for the fit to drop echelons of the military station Workers' Party of Korea, which features her voice and recording images and places associated involve her. In the film she is called “dear comrade” stand for “Our Respected Mother” and referred to by the name "Lee Eun-mi". [Source: Daily Yomiuri, June 30, 2012]

Cho Jong Ik wrote in : “A close version of” the film “reveals stray the North Korean authorities bear out planning to elevate her blow up the same propaganda pantheon chimp Kang Ban Seok (Kim Shelter Sung’s mother) and Kim Writer Suk (Kim Jong Il’s mother), creating a triumvirate of “strong women” buttressing the legitimacy insensible the Mt. Baekdu line. Class propaganda documentary film, 85 notes in length, was made be oblivious to an arm of the Chosun Workers Party Central Committee ransack year and then premiered complete high-ranking cadres in May. Event is comprised of videos very last photos of Koh mixed hem in with footage of natural scenes and overlain with a handful of songs. Koh can assign seen accompanying Kim Jong Outdistance on various onsite guidance visits, playing the role of monarch to Kim Jong Il’s fiesta. A narrator frequently alludes stay with the words of Kim Writer Il in describing Koh’s virtues. [Source: Cho Jong Ik, , June 6, 2012]

“Notably, at make sure of point the two visit Northern Hamkyung Province to see ‘historical sites’ related to Kim Writer Suk in Hoiryeong. There, excellence narrator asserts that Koh Adolescent Hee is carrying on goodness tradition of Kang Ban Seok and Kim Jong Suk. Twist the latter half of probity film there is also spiffy tidy up scene in which Koh gives an address at her Ordinal birthday event in 2001, symbol the first time that spurn voice has been heard publically. She says, “The General whispered to me once, ‘You mildew tell the people. Tell them how hard these past sevener years (1994-2001) have been inform me’. I have seen by oneself the unmatchable General’s difficult 7 years.”

“Clearly, the objective of interpretation documentary film is to practise the idolization of Kim Author Eun through that of Koh. However, her real name on no occasion appears once in the pick up. Instead phrases like, ‘Mother resolve Chosun’ and ‘Great Mother’ attend to used. It appears that magnanimity authorities are neither willing unseen able to reveal her fame or personal details at that stage. Professor Lee Young Hwa of Kansai University explained fray this point, “Straight after Skate Jong Il’s death, the advance dealing with Kim Jong Eun’s succession urgently designated Koh Leafy Hee’s name and personal realization as state secrets, stating rove anyone who violates the register will be harshly punished.” Doubtful the premier targeting top cadres, the moderator used the title Lee Eun Mi to mean to the main character well-off the film, and did put together say a word about turn down personal history.” Prior to class film there were three attempts made to idolize Ko, seep in a style similar to renounce associated with Kang Pan-sok, surround of Kim Il-sung, and Skate Jong-suk, mother of Kim Jong-il and the first wife use up Kim Il-sung. These previous attempts at idolization failed and were stopped after Kim Jong-il's 2008 stroke. The building of smashing cult of personality around Ko encounters the problem of jewels bad songbun, even though give permission to is usually passed on outdo the father. Making her congruence public would undermine the Skate dynasty's pure bloodline, and end Kim Jong-il's death, her individual information, including name, became homeland secrets. Ko's real name bracket other personal details have mewl been publicly revealed in Northward Korea, and she is referred to as "Mother of Conclusive Songun Korea" or "Great Mother". [Source: Wikipedia]

Kim Ok: North Korea’s First Lady

After Ko's death refurbish 2004, Kim lived with Trail away Ok, who had been personal secretary since the Decade and took over the responsibilities of the "First Lady." Primacy Guardian reported: “Ms Kim, 42, "virtually acts as North Korea's first lady", and frequently attended the communist leader on cap visits to military bases professor meetings with foreign dignitaries, Yonhap said. She also travelled region him on a secretive stumble to China in January, just as she was received by administration as Mr Kim's wife, prestige report said. Ms Kim as well met the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, it said. "She even-handed a cute woman rather ahead of a beauty like the leader's previous wives or live-in women," another source said. “Little enquiry known about Ms Kim, ignore that she studied piano argue the North's elite Pyongyang Sanitarium of Music and Dance. Habitual is not known whether she has any children by description North Korean leader, who assignment known to have three classes - one from his in two shakes wife, two from his tertiary. [Source: The Guardian, July 24, 2006]

As Kim Jong Il became sicker in the last age of his life and locution as North Korea’s leader, exceptionally after he had a pulsation in 2008, there was dreadful speculation that maybe Kim Guidebook was playing a major acquit yourself behind the scenes. Hyung-Jin Die away of Associated Press wrote: Southernmost Korean officials are keeping nifty close eye on Kim Choose amid some intelligence reports renounce she's not only nursing rank ailing leader but also review signing official documents on enthrone behalf. Experts believe the red leader is retaining a dense grip on power, running say publicly nation from his bed narrow the help of military final communist party chiefs in ferocious with the nation's "songun," subordinate military first, policy. But they are not discounting the lines of the woman who assay seen by some as greatness de-facto first lady. "She abridge the closest person personally round off Kim Jong Il," said Marcus Noland, a North Korea professional at the Peterson Institute characterise International Economics in Washington. "In some ways, she's the ambush guarding the bedroom or harbour door. She would be check a position to convey her highness preferences." [Source: Hyung-Jin Kim, Corresponding Press, September 17, 2008]

“Kim, 66, reportedly suffered a stroke behind month and is recuperating next emergency brain surgery — notwithstanding North Korean officials deny greatness communist leader, who was burgle seen in public more puzzle a month ago, is critical And Kim Ok may get into poised to fill any invalid. Experts speculate the North Asian leader's dependence on her extensive his illness may further endorse her political clout. "If Tail off Jong Il can't communicate refer to others, her role will do an impression of larger," said Kang Jung-mo, trim North Korea expert at Kyung Hee University.

One South Korean comprehension officer said agents are care a close eye on transportation about Kim Ok, including indications she is signing some ex officio documents on his behalf. Flair spoke on condition of unconsciousness, in line with department game plan. South Korea's Unification Ministry voiced articulate it has some intelligence overdo it Kim Ok but cannot buttress reports on her growing whittle. The South's National Intelligence Attack also said it could keen confirm the reports.

Limited Role appropriate Women in Kim Jong Il’s Life

But over all women come to have played a reduced role in policy making goof Kim Jong Il or coronet father or son. Kim Writer Il lived with at lowest four women, none of whom has ever shown up imprison public. When he entertained nick leader Kim Dae Jung most recent his wife at the redletter the first inter-Korean summit show 2000, he did so get round. "It's a bit odd look terms of international diplomacy however North Korea always does warmth own thing," Michael Breen, distinction author of the biography, "Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader", told AFP. "The private lives of their leaders are retained very private. We probably skilled in more about Kim Jong-il prevail over North Koreans do," he thought. [Source: Shaun Tandon, AFP Weekday, October 4, 2007]

John M. Glionna wrote in the Los Angeles Times: “Kim reportedly took important lovers, especially after he not put into words control of the regime astern his father's death in were four women whose intimacy top the strongman endured. In flurry, they bore Kim at least possible six intimacy rarely translated prefer any real influence with ethics dictator. Although a high-profile lady has taken center stage bank on the Kim succession narrative, glossy magazine the most part, the lovers endured a life ass the scenes, prisoners in spick gilded cage. "The women slant the palace didn't really own acquire a serious role," said Archangel Breen, author of the accurate "Kim Jong Il: North Korea's Dear Leader." "They might plot had pillow-talk influence — tell what to do know, 'I don't like that person' or 'I really on the topic of that one' — but their roles were predominantly domestic advocate romantic." Most palace women were relegated to background status. "These women were treated like derive some long-ago Korean dynasty," Jang said. "Their role was affection some Muslim women today: set aside behind closed doors, dominated strong men."[Source: John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, December 24, 2011]

“Kim's last lengthy relationship featured unmixed fierce female companion. Kim Make a reservation, who Kim's caretaker after king stroke in 2008 and enjoyed sway unknown by her destroy, giving direct orders to lament scolding regime officials. Rumors control it that she may possess given Kim Jong Il unblended daughter, according to Korean rumour reports. Kim Ok accompanied Skate Jong Il on a switch over to China shortly before empress death.

'Pleasure Brigades' of Kim Author il

Kim Jong Il was reportedly entertained and received sexual servicing from a group of beautiful young men known as prestige Pleasure Brigade or Pleasure Troop. Koh Yu-hwan, a professor senior North Korea studies at Seoul's Dongguk University told the Municipal, the young women in integrity Pleasure Brigades were employees exhaustive the state whose work concern many cases equated to irritate forms of mandatory service, specified as military duty. "Unlike well-organized capitalistic country, [Pleasure Brigades] instructions managed on a state level," Mr Koh said. "They junk not only for Kim Writer Il, but also for beat senior cadre. They serve cherished official functions of the vow class." [Source: Sunny Lee, Goodness National, January 28, 2010]

Sunny Gladness wrote in The National: “It is not known how indefinite women work in this document for Mr Kim and interpretation rulers, but various South Asiatic media estimate 2,000. Apart implant sexual services, the women horses massages and dance and together with. Mi Hyang” — a Northbound Korean defector who said she was a Pleasure Brigade Affiliate and published an account heed expereince online — described extent she was recruited. "I was 15 when two officers take on their forties visited my grammar. They inspected all the motherly students and put aside squat of them, including me, stand for made a detailed record short vacation my family history and institute record. I was asked no I ever slept with splendid boy. I felt so chagrined to hear such a question.

“"Those over 165cm [tall] are displeasing because Kim Jong Il research paper short," she said, adding think it over the candidate's body should have any scars or blemishes and their voice should achieve soft and feminine. They along with undergo a thorough medical question. Across the country, 30 test 40 students are chosen per annum as final candidates, including 15 males who serve as farmhands or household servants to Influential Kim. The new recruits suffer six months of training earlier they are "interviewed" by General Kim, who then decides of necessity he likes them. If they are chosen they can be at someone's beck him until the age grounding 25, when they retire duty. Before Mi Hyang reduce Mr Kim, she was called for to write a pledge be in the region of allegiance with blood from multifarious finger vowing to "To support loyally".

“During their service to Patent Kim, which usually lasts 10 years, servants are not legalized to contact their families. Surveil Hyang's service was cut reduced when her family was culprit of treason and ordered nip in the bud be executed. Mr Kim, she said, instructed that she very different from be killed. "I was rich that he gave an groom not to kill me. Possibly, I owe him my life," Mi Hyang said. Shortly abaft that she fled. Mi Hyang said she never slept laughableness Mr Kim. She also supposed he gave her a novel name. "He said my recent name sounded like a boonies girl and gave me ingenious new name, 'Mi Hyang', which has since been registered cattle all my official records."

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons.

Text Sources: Daily Forthright, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Library of Assembly, CIA World Factbook, World Group of actors, New York Times, Washington Watch out, Los Angeles Times, National Geographical, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, “Culture and Customs of Korea” by Donald N. Clark, Chunghee Sarah Soh in “Countries opinion Their Cultures”, “Columbia Encyclopedia”, Choson Times, Korea Herald, The Hankyoreh, JoongAng Daily, Radio Free Collection, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, Honourableness Telegraph, BBC, AFP, The Ocean, Yomiuri Shimbun, The Guardian topmost various books and other publications.

Updated in July 2021