Kim Jong-il: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Kim_Jong-il_August_2011.png|thumb|Jong-il on August 24, 2011]]

'''Kim Jong-il''' (born '''Yuri Irsenovich Kim''', February 16, 1941; official biography claims 1942 – December 17, 2011), also romanised as '''Kim Jong-Il''', '''Kim Jong Il''', or '''Kim Jung-il''', was the supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK [[Kim Il-sung]], following his death in 1994. Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National ~~Defence~~ Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the 4th-largest standing army in the world. He continued his father's rabid hold on the nation of North Korea, where the citizens have virtually no rights whatsoever. He, however, also held the strongest of all militaries and was still generally less brutal than his father was.

'''Kim Jong-il''' (born '''Yuri Irsenovich Kim''', February 16, 1941; official biography claims 1942 – December 17, 2011), also romanised as '''Kim Jong-Il''', '''Kim Jong Il''', or '''Kim Jung-il''', was the supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK [[Kim Il-sung]], following his death in 1994. Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the 4th-largest standing army in the world. He continued his father's rabid hold on the nation of North Korea, where the citizens have virtually no rights whatsoever. He, however, also held the strongest of all militaries and was still generally less brutal than his father was.

In December 2011, Jong-il died of a stroke and was soon succeeded by his son [[Kim Jong-un]].

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===Childhood===

====Birth====

Soviet records show that Jong-il was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father [[Kim Il-sung]] commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Jong-il's mother [[Kim Jong-suk]] was ~~his father~~'s first wife.

Soviet records show that Jong-il was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father [[Kim Il-sung]] commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Jong-il's mother [[Kim Jong-suk]] was Il-sung's first wife.

However, Jong-il's official biography states he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain (Korean: 백두산밀영고향집) in Japanese-occupied Korea on 16 ~~February~~ 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow across the sky over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.

However, Jong-il's official biography states he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain (Korean: 백두산밀영고향집) in Japanese-occupied Korea on February 16, 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow across the sky over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.

In 1945, Jong-il was 4 years old when World War II ended and Korea regained independence from Japan. His father returned to Pyongyang that September, and in late November, he returned to Korea through 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. Jong-il's brother "Shura" Kim (the first Kim Pyong-il, but known by his Russian nickname) drowned there in 1948. Unconfirmed reports suggest that 5-year-old Jong-il might have caused the accident.

In 1945, Jong-il was 4 years old when World War II ended and Korea regained independence from Japan. His father returned to Pyongyang that September, and in late November, he returned to Korea through 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. Jong-il's brother "Shura" Kim (the first [[Kim Pyong-il]], but known by his Russian nickname) drowned there in 1948. Unconfirmed reports suggest that 5-year-old Jong-il might have caused the accident.

In 1949, his mother died in childbirth. Unconfirmed reports suggest that his mother might have been shot and left to bleed to death.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Kim_Jong-il_August_2011.png|thumb|Jong-il on August 24, 2011]]
-'''Kim Jong-il''' (born '''Yuri Irsenovich Kim''', February 16, 1941; official biography claims 1942 – December 17, 2011), also romanised as '''Kim Jong-Il''', '''Kim Jong Il''', or '''Kim Jung-il''', was the supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK [[Kim Il-sung]], following his death in 1994. Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the 4th-largest standing army in the world. He continued his father's rabid hold on the nation of North Korea, where the citizens have virtually no rights whatsoever. He, however, also held the strongest of all militaries and was still generally less brutal than his father was.
+'''Kim Jong-il''' (born '''Yuri Irsenovich Kim''', February 16, 1941; official biography claims 1942 – December 17, 2011), also romanised as '''Kim Jong-Il''', '''Kim Jong Il''', or '''Kim Jung-il''', was the supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK [[Kim Il-sung]], following his death in 1994. Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the 4th-largest standing army in the world. He continued his father's rabid hold on the nation of North Korea, where the citizens have virtually no rights whatsoever. He, however, also held the strongest of all militaries and was still generally less brutal than his father was.
 In December 2011, Jong-il died of a stroke and was soon succeeded by his son [[Kim Jong-un]].
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ===Childhood===
 ====Birth====
-Soviet records show that Jong-il was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father [[Kim Il-sung]] commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Jong-il's mother [[Kim Jong-suk]] was his father's first wife.
+Soviet records show that Jong-il was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father [[Kim Il-sung]] commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Jong-il's mother [[Kim Jong-suk]] was Il-sung's first wife.
-However, Jong-il's official biography states he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain (Korean: 백두산밀영고향집) in Japanese-occupied Korea on 16 February 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow across the sky over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.
+However, Jong-il's official biography states he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain (Korean: 백두산밀영고향집) in Japanese-occupied Korea on February 16, 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow across the sky over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.
-In 1945, Jong-il was 4 years old when World War II ended and Korea regained independence from Japan. His father returned to Pyongyang that September, and in late November, he returned to Korea through 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. Jong-il's brother "Shura" Kim (the first Kim Pyong-il, but known by his Russian nickname) drowned there in 1948. Unconfirmed reports suggest that 5-year-old Jong-il might have caused the accident.
+In 1945, Jong-il was 4 years old when World War II ended and Korea regained independence from Japan. His father returned to Pyongyang that September, and in late November, he returned to Korea through 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. Jong-il's brother "Shura" Kim (the first [[Kim Pyong-il]], but known by his Russian nickname) drowned there in 1948. Unconfirmed reports suggest that 5-year-old Jong-il might have caused the accident.
 In 1949, his mother died in childbirth. Unconfirmed reports suggest that his mother might have been shot and left to bleed to death.