Kim Jong-il 154099 226163317 2008-07-17T02:52:50Z CarsracBot 6929011 robot Modifying: [[fi:Kim Jong-il]] {{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}} {{Korean name|Kim}} {{Redirect6|Dear Leader|the band|Dear Leader (band)|other heads of state|List of current heads of state and government}} {{Infobox President | name = Kim Jong-il<br><small>김정일</small> | image = Kim Jong il.jpg | order = [[Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea]]<br><small>"Highest Post" since [[05 September]] [[1998]]</small> | term_start = [[09 April]] [[1993]] | term_end = | president = [[Kim Yong-nam]] | premier = [[Hong Song-nam]]<br>[[Pak Pong-ju]]<br>[[Kim Yong-il]] | predecessor = [[Kim Il-sung]] | successor = | order2 = [[Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army]] | term_start2 = July 1994 | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = [[Kim Il-sung]] | successor2 = | order3 = [[General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea]] | term_start3 = [[08 October]] [[1997]] | term_end3 = | predecessor3 = [[Kim Il-sung]] | successor3 = | birth_date = {{bda|1941|02|16|df=y}}<br>[[Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai|Vyatskoye]], [[Soviet Union]] <small>(Soviet records)</small><br>{{bda|1942|02|16|df=y}}<br>[[Baekdu Mountain|Mt. Baekdu]], [[Japanese Korea]]<small> (North Korean records)</small> | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Workers' Party of Korea]] | nationality = [[North Korea]]n | religion = [[Atheism|Atheist]] }} {{Infobox Korean name|context=north|tablewidth=260| hangul=김정일|hanja=金正日|rr=Kim Jeong(-)il|mr=Kim Chŏngil}} '''Kim Jong-il''' (also written as '''Kim Jong Il''') (born [[February 16]], [[1941]], [[Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai|Vyatskoye]], [[Soviet Union]]; official biographies state [[February 16]], [[1942]], [[Baekdu Mountain]], [[Japanese Korea]]) is the [[leader]] of the [[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]]. He is the [[Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea|Chairman of the National Defense Commission]], [[Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army]], and [[General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea]] (the ruling party since 1948). He succeeded his father [[Kim Il-sung]], founder of North Korea, who died in 1994, and commands the fourth [[List of countries by number of active troops|largest standing army in the world]]. North Korea officially refers to him as the "Dear Leader". ''There are a number of disputes among historians in regard to events in Kim Jong-il's life. These relate to his alleged [[cult of personality]], which is discussed [[Kim Jong-il#Cult of personality|here]].'' ==Childhood== ====Birth==== [[Image:Kim-il-sung Kim-jong-suk Kim-jong-il.jpg|thumb|left|Three-year-old Kim Jong-il with his father [[Kim Il-sung]] and mother [[Kim Jong-suk]] in 1945.]] Kim Jong-il's official biography <ref>http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm </ref> states that he was born in a secret military camp on [[Baekdu Mountain]] (백두산) in northern Korea on [[February 16]], [[1942]]<ref>[http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm Kim Jong Il - Short Biography.] Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, p. 1.</ref>. Official biographers claim that his birth at [[Baekdu Mountain]] was foretold by a [[Swallow (bird)|swallow]], and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens. However, [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] records show he was born in the village of [[Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai|Vyatskoye]], near [[Khabarovsk]], in 1941<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1907197.stm "Profile: Kim Jong-Il"] BBC News. Ed. Steve Herrmann. 9 October 2006. Accessed 17 December 2007.</ref> where his father, [[Kim Il-sung]], commanded the 1st [[Battalion]] of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of [[Chinese people|Chinese]] and Korean [[exile]]s. Kim Jong-il's mother, [[Kim Jong-suk]], was Kim Il-sung's first wife. During his youth in the [[Soviet Union]], Kim Jong-il was known as '''Yuri Irsenovich Kim''' ({{lang|ru|Юрий Ирсенович Ким}}), taking his [[patronymic]] from his father's [[Russification|Russified]] name, Ir-sen. In 1945, Kim was three years old when [[World War II]] ended and Korea regained [[Korea under Japanese rule|independence from Japan]]. His father returned to [[Pyongyang]] that September, and in late November Kim returned to Korea via a Soviet ship, landing at [[Sonbong]] (선봉군, also Unggi). The family moved into a former Japanese officer's mansion in Pyongyang, with a garden and pool. Kim Jong-il's brother, "Shura" Kim (the first Kim Jong-il, but known by his Russian nickname), drowned there in 1948. In 1949, his mother died in [[childbirth]].<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GF04Dg03.html "The Kims' North Korea"], Asia Times, June 4, 2005.</ref> ====Education==== According to his official biography, Kim completed the course of general education between September 1950 and August 1960. He attended Primary School No. 4 and Middle School No. 1 in [[Pyongyang]].<ref>[http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm Kim Jong Il - Short Biography.] Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, p. 5.</ref> This is contested by foreign academics, who believe he is more likely to have received his early education in the [[China|People's Republic of China]] as a precaution to ensure his safety during the [[Korean War]].<ref>Martin, Bradley K. (2004). ''Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader'', New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-32221-6</ref> Throughout his schooling, Kim was involved in politics. He was active in the [[Childrens' Union]]<ref>[http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm Kim Jong Il - Short Biography.] Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, p. 4.</ref> and [[Democratic Youth League]] (DYL), taking part in study groups of [[Marxism|Marxist]] political theory and other literature. In September 1957 he became vice-chairman of his middle school's DYL branch. He pursued a programme of anti-[[factionalism]] and attempted to encourage greater ideological education among his classmates. He organized academic competitions and seminars, as well as helping to arrange field trips. During his youth Kim's interests included music, agriculture and automotive repair. At school he repaired trucks and electric motors in a practice workshop, and he often visited factories and farms with his classmates.<ref>ibid, pp. 6-9.</ref> Kim Jong Il began studying at [[Kim Il Sung University]] in September 1960, majoring in Marxist [[political economy]]. His minor subjects included [[philosophy]] and [[military science]]. While at university, he also undertook production training at Pyongyang Textile Machinery Factory, as a road-working apprentice and as a worker building TV broadcasting equipment. Kim joined the [[Workers Party of Korea|Workers' Party of Korea]] in July 1961. He began accompanying his father in "tours of field guidance", which consisted of visits to factories, farms and workplaces around the country. Kim graduated from Kim Il Sung University in April 1964.<ref>ibid, pp. 9-17</ref> Kim is also said to have received [[English language]] education at the [[University of Malta]] in the early 1970s, on his infrequent holidays in [[Malta]] as guest of [[Prime Minister of Malta|Prime Minister]] [[Dom Mintoff]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,866479,00.html "Kim is a baby rattling the sides of a cot"], Guardian Unlimited, December 30, 2002.</ref> The elder Kim had meanwhile remarried and had another son, [[Kim Pyong-il]] (named after Kim Jong-il's drowned brother). Since 1988, Kim Pyong-il has served in a series of North Korean embassies in [[Europe]] and is currently the North Korean ambassador to [[Poland]]. Foreign commentators suspect that Kim Pyong-il was sent to these distant posts by his father in order to avoid a power struggle between his two sons.<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FB14Dg04.html "Happy Birthday, Dear Leader - who's next in line?"], Asia Times, February 14, 2004.</ref> ==Early political career (1964-1979)== {{Politics of North Korea}} After graduating in 1964, Kim Jong-il began his ascension through the ranks of the ruling [[Korean Workers' Party]] (KWP). His entrance to politics was met by the tensions within the global [[communist]] movement caused by the [[Sino-Soviet split]]. Still following [[Marxism-Leninism]] as their core ideology, the KWP had launched an offensive against elements within the party deemed [[Marxist revisionism|revisionist]]. Dubbed "anti-Party revisionists", senior cadre had spread feudal [[Confucius|Confucian]] ideas, attempted to water down the party's revolutionary line and ignored orders from General Secretary Kim Il-sung. Shortly after his graduation, Kim was appointed instructor and section chief to the [[KWP Central Committee|Party Central Committee]]. His first activities were undertaking parts of the WPK offensive. He agitated amongst officials to ensure party activities did not deviate from the ideological line set by Kim-Il sung, and worked to reveal anti-Party revisionists. He also put in place measures to ensure the Party's idealogical system was rigidly enforced among the media, writers and artists.<ref>[http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm Kim Jong Il - Short Biography.] Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, pp. 18-23</ref> During the late 1960s, Kim wrote a number of discourses on [[economics]]. He rallied against moves to make material incentive the primary force behind economic development, and toured the country giving guidance on technical restructuring occurring within industry at the time.<ref>ibid, pp. 25-59</ref> Between 1967-1969, Kim turned his attention to the military. He believed [[bureaucracy|bureaucrats]] within the [[Korean People's Army]] (KPA) were oppressing the Army's political organizations and distorting state orders. Kim decided these elements posed a threat to the WPK's control of the military. At the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Party Committee of the KPA, he exposed certain officers believed to be responsible, who were subsequently expelled.<ref>ibid, pp. 24-25</ref> During his early years in the Party Central Committee, Kim also oversaw activities of the [[agitprop|Propaganda and Agitation]] Department, in which he worked to revolutionize the Korean fine arts. Artists were encouraged to create works new in content and form, produced by new systems and methods, and abandoning old traditions in the Korean arts. Kim's theory was that film combined a number of artistic forms, and therefore the development of Korean cinema would in turn develop other artistic spheres. This began with film adaptations for Kim Il-sung's works written during [[World War II]], beginning with ''[[Five Guerrilla Brothers]]'' in 1967. In the early 1970s, operatic adaptations of Kim Il-sung's works began.<ref>ibid, pp. 35-40</ref> Kim was appointed vice-director of the Party Central Committee (PCC) in September 1970, and became an elected member of the PCC in October 1972. By 1973 he was made secretary.<ref>ibid, p. 32</ref> During the early 1970s, Kim worked to eliminate bureaucracy and encourage political activity amongst the people by Party officials. This included a policy forcing bureaucrats to work among workers at the next subordinate level for 20 days per month.<ref>ibid, p. 35</ref> In February 1974, Kim Jong-il was elected to the Political Committee of the PCC. By this time he had acquired the nicknames of "dear leader" and "intelligent leader", according to his official biography.<ref>ibid, p. 48</ref> That same year, Kim launched the [[Three-revolution Team Movement]]. Described as "a new method of guiding the revolution", the movement introduced teams which travelled around the country providing political, scientific and technical training through short courses. The expertise gained was continually developed through mass meetings in which knowledge could be shared. Kim also led the [[shock-brigade movement]] of scientists and technicians - a similar initiative for new scientific research.<ref>ibid, pp. 61-66</ref> During the late 1970s, Kim was involved in economic planning, including several campaigns to rapidly develop certain sectors of the economy.<ref>ibid, pp. 56-60</ref> He worked on initiatives to build mass political movements within the military, including the Three Revolution Red Flag Movement, Red Flag Company Movement and the Red Flag Vanguard Company Movement.<ref>ibid, p. 72</ref> He was also active in efforts to build a campaign for the reunification of Korea. This included assisting in the formation of the International Liaison Committee for the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea in 1977, attending talks between political parties and groups within the DPRK, and taking part in high-level negotiations between the DPRK and [[Republic of Korea]].<ref>ibid, pp. 72-75</ref> ==Presidium member and party secretary (1980-1994)== By the time of the Sixth Party Congress in [[October 1980]], Kim Jong-il's control of the Party operation was complete. He was given senior posts in the [[Politburo]], the Military Commission and the party [[Secretariat]]. When he was made a member of the Seventh Supreme People's Assembly in February 1982, international observers deemed him the [[heir apparent]] of North Korea. At this time Kim assumed the title "Dear Leader" (친애하는 지도자, ''ch'inaehanŭn chidoja'')<ref name="dear">''[http://www.theage.com.au/news/North-Korea/North-Koreas-dear-leader-less-dear/2004/11/18/1100748136912.html "North Korea's dear leader less dear"]'', Fairfax Digital, November 19, 2004. </ref> the government began building a [[personality cult]] around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader". Kim Jong-il was regularly hailed by the media as the "fearless leader" and "the great successor to the revolutionary cause". He emerged as the most powerful figure behind his father in North Korea. On [[December 24]], [[1991]], Kim was also named supreme commander of the North Korean armed forces. Since the Army is the real foundation of power in North Korea, this was a vital step. Defense Minister Oh Jin-wu, one of Kim Il-sung's most loyal subordinates, engineered Kim Jong-il's acceptance by the Army as the next leader of North Korea, despite his lack of military service. The only other possible leadership candidate, Prime Minister [[Kim Il]] (no relation), was removed from his posts in 1976. In 1992, Kim Il-sung publicly stated that his son was in charge of all internal affairs in the Democratic People's Republic. In 1992, radio broadcasts started referring to him as the "Dear Father", instead of the "Dear Leader", suggesting a promotion. His 50th birthday was the occasion for massive celebrations, exceeded only by those for the 80th birthday of Kim Il Sung himself on April 15. According to defector [[Hwang Jang-yop]], the North Korean system became even more centralized and [[autocratic]] under Kim Jong-il than it had been under his father. Although Kim Il-sung required his ministers to be loyal to him, he nonetheless sought their advice in decision-making; Kim Jong-il demands absolute obedience and agreement, and views any deviation from his thinking as a sign of disloyalty. According to Hwang, Kim Jong-il personally directs even minor details of state affairs, such as the size of houses for party secretaries and the delivery of gifts to his subordinates.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/world/rok/nis-docs/hwang2.htm Testimony of Hwang Jang-yop]</ref> By the 1980s, North Korea began to experience severe economic stagnation. Kim Il-sung's policy of ''[[juche]]'' (self-reliance) cut the country off from almost all external trade, even with its traditional partners, the Soviet Union and China. [[South Korea]] accused Kim of ordering the 1983 [[Rangoon bombing|bombing in Rangoon]], [[Burma]] (now [[Yangon]], [[Myanmar]]), which killed 17 visiting South Korean officials, including four cabinet members, and another in 1987 which killed all 115 on board [[Korean Air Flight 858]] <ref name="yangon">[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/northkorea/keyplayers/kimjongil.html "North Korea: Nuclear Standoff"], The Online NewsHour, [[PBS]], October 19, 2006.</ref>. A North Korean agent, [[Kim Hyon Hui]], confessed to planting a bomb in the case of the second, saying the operation was ordered by Kim Jong-il personally <ref name="hyonhui">[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/FL16Dh02.html "Fake ashes, very real North Korean sanctions"], Asia Times Online, December 16, 2004.</ref>. In 1992, Kim Jong-il's voice was broadcast for the first and only time. During a military parade, he approached the microphone and said "Glory to the heroic soldiers of the People's Army!" ==Ruler of North Korea== <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Kimjongil-wave.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Kim Jong-il]] --> [[President]] [[Kim Il-sung]] died [[July 8]], [[1994]], at age 82 of a heart attack. He was not replaced as President, and received the designation of "[[Eternal President]]", resting in the [[Kumsusan Memorial Palace]] in central Pyongyang. The active position has been abolished in deference to the memory of Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il officially took the titles of General Secretary of the [[Workers' Party of Korea]] and chairman of the [[Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea|National Defense Commission]] on [[October 8]], [[1997]]. In 1998, his Defense Commission position was declared to be "the highest post of the state", so Kim may be regarded as North Korea's head of state from that date. Since Kim is not the president, he is not constitutionally required to hold elections to confirm his legitimacy and has not done so. ===Economic policies=== North Korea's state-controlled [[Economy of North Korea|economy]] struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the [[USSR]]<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3778/is_1992_April/ai_12151027 "Prospects for trade with an integrated Korean market"], Agricultural Outlook, April, 1992.</ref> and strained relations with [[China]] following China's normalization with [[South Korea]] in 1992.<ref>[http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/china/03041801.html "Why South Korea Does Not Perceive China to be a Threat"], China in Transition, April 18, 2003.</ref> In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking [[floods]] (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe [[drought]] beginning in 1997.<ref>[http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=OLS20051228&articleId=1663 "An Antidote to disinformation about North Korea"], Global Research, December 28, 2005.</ref> This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land<ref>[http://www.country-studies.com/north-korea/agriculture.html "North Korea Agriculture"], Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, Retrieved March 11, 2007.</ref> and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry,<ref>[http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/target/industry.htm "Other Industry - North Korean Targets"] Federation of American Scientists, June 15, 2000.</ref> led to an [[Famine in North Korea|immense famine]] and left North Korea in economic shambles. Faced with a country in decay, Kim adopted a [[Songun|"Military-First" policy]] (선군정치, Sŏn'gun chŏngch'i) to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime.<ref>[http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03spring/hodge.htm "North Korea’s Military Strategy"], ''Parameters'', US Army War College Quarterly, 2003.</ref> On the national scale, this policy has produced a positive growth rate for the country since 1996, and the implementation of "landmark socialist-type market economic practices" in 2002 kept the North afloat despite a continued dependency on foreign aid for food.<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/IA04Dg02.html "Kim Jong-il's military-first policy a silver bullet"], Asia Times Online, January 4, 2007.</ref> In the wake of the devastation of the 1990s, the government began formally approving some activity of small-scale bartering and trade. As observed by Daniel Sneider, associate director for research at [[Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Center|Stanford's Asia-Pacific Research Center]], this flirtation with [[capitalism]] is "fairly limited, but — especially compared to the past — there are now remarkable markets that create the semblance of a [[free market]] system."<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/10858/ "North Korea's Capitalist Experiment"], Council on Foreign Relations, June 8, 2006.</ref> In 2002, Kim Jong-il declared that "money should be capable of measuring the worth of all commodities."<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0602/p07s02-woap.html "On North Korea's streets, pink and tangerine buses"], Christian Science Monitor, June 2, 2005.</ref> These gestures toward economic reform mirror similar actions taken by China's [[Deng Xiaoping]] in the late 1980s and early 90s. During a rare visit in 2006, Kim expressed admiration for China's rapid economic progress.<ref>[http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2007/0126_north_korea.html "Inside North Korea: A Joint U.S.-Chinese Dialogue"], United States Institute of Peace, January 2007.</ref> ===Foreign relations=== In 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung implemented the "[[Sunshine policy]]" (햇볕 정책, Haetpyŏt chŏngch'aek) to improve North-South relations and to allow South Korean companies to start projects in the North. Kim Jong-il announced plans to import and develop new technologies to develop North Korea's fledgling [[software]] industry. As a result of the new policy, the [[Kaesong Industrial Park]] was constructed in 2003 just north of the inter-Korean border, with the planned participation of 250 South Korean companies, employing 100,000 North Koreans, by 2007.<ref>[http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200404/kt2004042317263611880.htm "Asan, KOLAND Permitted to Develop Kaesong Complex"], The Korea Times, April 23, 2004.</ref> However, by March 2007, the Park contained only 21 companies - employing 12,000 North Korean workers.<ref>[http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070307/640000000020070307103114E2.html "S. Korea denies U.S. trade pact will exclude N. Korean industrial park"], Yonhap News, March 7, 2007.</ref> In 1994, North Korea and the [[United States]] signed an [[Agreed Framework]] which was designed to freeze and eventually dismantle the North's [[North Korea and weapons of mass destruction|nuclear weapons program]] in exchange for aid in producing two power-generating [[nuclear reactor]]s.<ref>[http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aankorea.htm "History of the 'Agreed Framework' and how it was broken"], About: U.S. Gov Info/Resources, March 12, 2007.</ref> In 2002, Kim Jong-il's government admitted to having produced nuclear weapons since the 1994 agreement. Kim's regime argued the secret production was necessary for security purposes - citing the presence of United States owned nuclear weapons in South Korea and the new tensions with the U.S. under President [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://www.glocom.org/media_reviews/w_review/20021028_weekly_review70/index.html "Motivation Behind North Korea's Nuclear Confession"], GLOCOM Platform, October 28, 2002.</ref> On [[October 9]], [[2006]], North Korea's Korean Central News Agency announced that it had successfully conducted an underground [[nuclear test]]. ===Internal politics=== North Korea remains silent on the issue of an appointed successor. South Korean media have suggested that he is grooming his son, [[Kim Jong-chul (political figure)|Kim Jong-chul]]; however, Kim Yong Hyun, a political expert at the Institute for North Korean Studies at [[Seoul|Seoul's]] [[Dongguk University]], believes any appointee would be outside the family. "Even the North Korean establishment would not advocate a continuation of the family [[dynasty]] at this point."<ref>[http://www.indiaenews.com/asia/20070214/39480.htm "North Korea silent over Kim Jong Il successor"], India eNews, February 14, 2007.</ref> His eldest son, [[Kim Jong-nam]], was earlier believed to be the designated heir, but he appears to have fallen out of favor after being arrested at [[Narita International Airport]] in [[Narita]], [[Japan]], near [[Tokyo]], in 2001 while traveling on a [[forgery|forged]] [[passport]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s289624.htm "Japan deports man claiming to be Kim Jong-Nam"], ABC News:The World Today, May 4, 2001.</ref> ==Cult of personality== Critics maintain Kim Jong-il is the centre of an elaborate [[personality cult]] inherited from his father and founder of the DPRK, Kim Il-sung. Defectors have been quoted as saying that North Korean schools deify both father and son, teaching that they do not urinate or defecate like mortal humans.<ref>Chol-hwan Kang and Pierre Rigoulot (2005). ''The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag'', Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-01104-7</ref> He is often the centre of attention throughout ordinary life in the DPRK. His birthday is one of the most important public holidays in the country. On his 60th birthday (based on his official date of birth), mass celebrations occurred throughout the country.<ref>BBC reporters. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1823713.stm "North Korea marks leader's birthday"], BBC News. Ed. Steve Herrmann. 16 February 2002. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref> One point of view is that Kim Jong Il's cult of personality is solely out of respect for Kim Il-sung or out of fear of punishment for failure to pay homage.<ref>Alexandre Mansourov. [http://www.nautilus.org/DPRKbriefingbook/negotiating/issue.html "Korean Monarch Kim Jong Il: Technocrat Ruler of the Hermit Kingdom Facing the Challenge of Modernity"] The Nautilus Institute. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref> Media and government sources from outside of North Korea generally tout this view,<ref>Charles Scanlon. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6368203.stm "Nuclear deal fuels Kim's celebrations"], BBC News. Ed. Steve Herrmann. 16 February 2007. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref><ref>Clifford Coonan. [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1916374.ece "Kim Jong Il, the tyrant with a passion for wine, women and the bomb"], The Independent. Ed. Martin King. 21 October 2006. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref><ref>Richard Lloyd Parry. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-2396147,00.html "'Dear Leader' clings to power while his people pay the price"], Times Online. Ed. [online.editor@timesonline.co.uk]. 10 October 2006. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref><ref>Reuters reporters. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=340&ObjectID=10405224 "'North Korea's 'Dear Leader' flaunts nuclear prowess"], New Zealand Herald. Ed. Tim Murphy. 10 October 2006. Accessed 18 December 2007.</ref><ref>Compiled by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27775.htm "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices"] US Department of State. 25 February 2004. Accessed 18 December 2007</ref> while North Korean government sources claim that it is genuine hero worship.<ref>Jason LaBouyer [http://www.korea-dpr.com/lodestar0605v.pdf "When friends become enemies - Understanding left-wing hostility to the DPRK" Lodestar. May/June 2005: pp. 7-9. Korea-DPR.com. Accessed on 18 December 2007.</ref> ==Personal life== There is no official information available about Kim Jong-il's marital history, but he is believed to have been officially married once, and that he has three [[Mistress (lover)|mistresses]]: *Kim married his first wife, Kim Young-suk, after being forced by his father to marry the daughter of a senior military official - the two have been estranged for some years. Kim has a daughter from this marriage, [[Kim Sul-song]] (born 1974).<ref>[http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/19155 "The Kim family tree"], Scripps News, February 2, 2007.</ref> *Kim's first mistress, [[Song Hye-rim]], was not officially recognized and after years of estrangement she is believed to have died in [[Moscow]] in the [[Central Clinical Hospital]] in 2002. They had one son, [[Kim Jong-nam]] (born 1971) who is Kim Jong-il's eldest son. *His second mistress, [[Ko Young-hee]], had taken over the role of [[First Lady]] until her death - reportedly of cancer - in 2004. They had two sons, [[Kim Jong-chul (political figure)|Kim Jong-chul]], in 1981, and [[Kim Jong-un]] (also "Jong Woon" or "Jong Woong"), in 1984.<ref>[http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/19155 "The Kim family tree"], Scripps News, February 2, 2007.</ref> *Since Ko's death, Kim has been living with [[Kim Ok]], his third mistress, who had served as his personal secretary since the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004303956 "North Korea's New First Lady"], All Headline News, June 23 2006.</ref> Like his father, Kim has a [[fear of flying]], and has always traveled by private [[armored train]] for state visits to [[Russia]] and China. The [[BBC]] reported that Konstantin Pulikovsky, a [[Russian people|Russian]] emissary who traveled with Kim across Russia by train, told reporters that Kim had live [[lobster]]s air-lifted to the train every day, which he ate with [[silver]] [[chopsticks]] - historically used in the Chinese [[Forbidden City]] in the belief that they would detect [[poison]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1907197.stm "Profile: Kim Jong-il"], BBC News, July 31, 2003.</ref><ref>[http://www.calacademy.org/RESEARCH/anthropology/utensil/chpstck.htm Silver Chopsticks]</ref> Kim is said to be a fan of [[luxury car]]s and has been known for racing his cars at his palaces. Kim had spent $20,000,000 on importing 200 new [[Mercedes-Benz W220|Mercedes Benz S500]] luxury sedans adding to North Korea's fleet of 7,000 Mercedes cars.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} Kim is said to be a huge film buff, owning a collection of more than 20,000 [[video tape]]s.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/08/wbr.kim.jong.il/ "North Korean leader loves Hennessey, Bond movies"], CNN Washington, Jan. 8, 2003.</ref> His reported favorites are the ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'', ''[[Rambo]]'', ''[[James Bond (film series)|James Bond]]'', and ''[[Godzilla (series)|Godzilla]]'' series, as well as [[Hong Kong action cinema]], and any movie with [[Elizabeth Taylor]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,,1077559,00.html "The Madness of Kim Jong Il"], ''Guardian Unlimited'', November 2, 2003.</ref> He is the author of the book ''On the Art of the Cinema''. In 1978, on Kim's orders, South Korean film director [[Shin Sang-ok]] and his actress wife [[Choi Eun-hee]] were [[North Korean abductions of South Koreans|kidnapped]] in order to build a North Korean film industry.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2821221.stm "Kidnapped by North Korea"], ''BBC News'', March 5, 2003.</ref> In 2006 he was involved in the production of the [[Juche]]-based movie ''Diary of a Girl Student'' – depicting the life of a girl whose parents are scientists – with a [[Korean Central News Agency|KCNA]] news report stating that Kim "improved its script and guided its production".<ref>[http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2006/200608/news08/11.htm#5 "Film 'Diary of a Girl Student', Close Companion of Life"], Korea News Sercive, August 10, 2006.</ref> Kim reportedly also enjoys [[basketball]]. Former [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Madeleine Albright]] ended her summit with Kim by presenting him with a basketball signed by [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] legend [[Michael Jordan]].<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20061029-9999-1n29kim.html "The oddest fan"], Union-Tribune, October 29, 2006.</ref> Also an apparent golfer, North Korean state media reports that Kim routinely shoots three or four [[Hole in one|holes-in-one]] per round.<ref>[http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2004/ea_nkorea_06_16.html "Move over Tiger: N. Korea's Kim shot 38 under par his 1st time out"], World Tribune, June 16, 2004.</ref> His official biography also claims Kim has composed six [[opera]]s and enjoys staging elaborate [[musical theater|musicals]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/783967.stm "Profile: Kim Jong-il"], BBC News, June 9 2000.</ref> Kim also refers to himself as an [[Internet]] expert.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299757,00.html "North Korea Kim Jong Il an Internet Expert"], FOX News, October 5 2007.</ref> Defectors claim that Kim has 17 different palaces and residences, including a private resort near [[Paektu Mountain]], a seaside lodge in the city of [[Wonsan]], and a palace complex northeast of [[Pyongyang]] surrounded with multiple fence lines, [[bunker]]s, and [[anti-aircraft]] batteries.<ref>[http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02300&num=83 "Kim Jong Il, Where He Sleeps and Where He Works"], Daily NK, March 15, 2005.</ref> ==Fictional portrayals== Kim Jong-il is a popular target for [[parody]] and [[satire]] in many countries, especially in the [[United States]]. A parody appears regularly in comedian [[Jay Leno]]'s "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketch on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', where he often feuds with a characterized [[George W. Bush]]. Comedian [[David Letterman]] refers to him as "[[Lil Kim]]" or "Ment-Ally Ill", and comedian [[Stephen Colbert]] often parodies him on ''[[The Colbert Report]]''. Kim Jong-Il is portrayed in the movie ''[[Team America: World Police]]'' as a James Bond-style [[supervillain]]. In the movie, he feeds [[United Nations]] weapons inspector [[Hans Blix]] to his pet sharks, sponsors a group of [[terrorist]]s who bomb the [[Panama Canal]], and attempts to assassinate world leaders at a gathering in [[Pyongyang]]. When he is killed at the end of the film, the fictional Kim Jong-Il is revealed to be an alien cockroach that retreats in his spaceship, promising to return. Voice actor [[Jim Ward (voice actor)|Jim Ward]] regularly portrays Kim Jong-Il on the ''[[Stephanie Miller Show#Impersonations|Stephanie Miller Show]]''. Comedian [[Bobby Lee]] has often portrayed Kim Jong-il on ''[[MADtv]]''. ==See also== *[[List of Korea-related topics]] *[[North Korea]] ==Notes and references== {{Reflist|2}} ==Further reading== *Jasper Becker, "Rogue Regime: Kim John Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea", [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/ComparativePolitics/Asia/?view=usa&ci=9780195308914], Oxford University Press (October 2006), Softcover, 328 pages, ISBN 0-19-530891-3 *[[Michael Breen (author)|Michael Breen]], ''Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader'', John Wiley and Sons (January, 2004), hardcover, 228 pages, ISBN 0-470-82131-0 *Bradley Martin, ''Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader: North Korea And The Kim Dynasty'', St. Martins (October, 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6 *Kim Chol U, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-167/ARMY-dsh-CENTRED-POLITICS-OF-KIM/Detail ''Army-Centred Politics Of Kim Jong Il''], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2002, Softcover, 98 pages *[http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-173/KIM-JONG-IL-BRIEF/Detail Kim Jong Il Brief History], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1998, Hardcover, 149 pages *[http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-175/KIM-JONG-IL-SHORT/Detail Kim Jong Il Short Biography], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2001, Hardcover, 215 pages *Pae Kyong Su, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-176/KIM-JONG-IL-THE/Detail Kim Jong Il The Individual Thoughts And Leadership Vol. 1], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1993, Softcover, 225 pages *Pae Kyong Su, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-177/KIM-JONG-IL-THE/Detail Kim Jong Il The Individual Thoughts And Leadership Vol. 2], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1995, Softcover, 164 pages *Nada Takashi, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-180/KOREA-IN-KIM-JONG/Detail Korea In Kim Jong Il's Era], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2000, Softcover, 163 pages *Li Il Bok, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-183/GREAT-MAN-KIM-JONG/Detail The Great Man Kim Jong Il], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1989, Softcover, 167 pages *Ri Il Bok, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-184/GREAT-MAN-KIM-JONG/Detail The Great Man Kim Jong Il Vol. 2], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1995, Softcover, 84 pages *Jo Song Baek, [http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-187/LEADERSHIP-PHILOSOPHY-KIM-JONG/Detail The Leadership Philosophy Of Kim Jong Il], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1999, Softcover, 261 pages *[http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-379/GUIDING-LIGHT-GENERAL-KIM/Detail Guiding Light General Kim Jong Il], Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1997, Softcover, 357 pages ==External links== {{sisterlinks|Kim Jong-il}} *{{PDFlink|[http://www.korea-dpr.com/library/103.pdf Kim Jong Il: Brief History]|893&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 915125 bytes -->}} – Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang DPR Korea (1998) *[http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200406/kt2004060817432954140.htm Born in the USSR] – Kim Jong-il's childhood. *[http://www.east-asia-intel.com/eai/Sample/2.html The many family secrets of Kim Jong Il] *[http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=1643 "Hidden Daughter" Visits Kim Jong-il Every Year] (also includes photos of Kim during his youth) *{{ko icon}} [http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=LSD&office_id=047&article_id=0000073978&section_id=100&menu_id=100 Kim's family tree] {{Persondata|NAME=Kim Jong-il|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Yuri Irsenovich Kim,|SHORT DESCRIPTION=leader of [[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]]|DATE OF BIRTH=[[February 16]], [[1941]]|PLACE OF BIRTH=village of [[Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai|Vyatskoye]], near [[Khabarovsk]]|DATE OF DEATH=|PLACE OF DEATH=}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Jong-il}} [[Category:Government of North Korea]] [[Category:North Korean politicians]] [[Category:Current national leaders]] [[Category:1942 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Korean communists]] [[an:Kim Jong-Il]] [[ast:Kim Yong Il]] [[zh-min-nan:Kim Chèng-ji̍t]] [[be:Кім Чэн Ір]] [[br:Kim Jong-il]] [[bg:Ким Чен Ир]] [[cs:Kim Čong-il]] [[cy:Kim Jong-il]] [[da:Kim Jong-il]] [[de:Kim Jong-il]] [[et:Kim Chŏng-il]] [[el:Κιμ Γιονγκ Ιλ]] [[es:Kim Jong-il]] [[eo:Kim Jong-il]] [[fr:Kim Jong-il]] [[zh-classical:金正日]] [[ko:김정일]] [[hr:Kim Jong-il]] [[id:Kim Jong-il]] [[is:Kim Jong-il]] [[it:Kim Jong-il]] [[he:קים ז'ונג איל]] [[ka:კიმ ჩენ ირი]] [[la:Kim Jong-il]] [[lt:Kim Čen Iras]] [[hu:Kim Dzsongil]] [[mt:Kim Jong Il]] [[mr:किम जॉँग-इल]] [[ms:Kim Jong-il]] [[nl:Kim Jong-il]] [[ja:金正日]] [[no:Kim Jong-il]] [[nn:Kim Jong-il]] [[pl:Kim Dzong Il]] [[pt:Kim Jong-Il]] [[ro:Kim Jong-il]] [[ru:Ким Чен Ир]] [[scn:Kim Jong Il]] [[simple:Kim Jong Il]] [[sr:Ким Џонг Ил]] [[sh:Kim Džong Il]] [[fi:Kim Jong-il]] [[sv:Kim Jong Il]] [[th:คิม จองอิล]] [[vi:Kim Chính Nhật]] [[tg:Ким Чен Ир]] [[tr:Kim Jong-il]] [[uk:Кім Чен Ір]] [[zh-yue:金正日]] [[zh:金正日]]