Kim family (North Korea)
Kim family Mount Paektu bloodline | ||
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Style(s)
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Members | ||
Connected members | Kim Il Sung's wives: Kim Il Sung's sons:
Kim Il Sung's daughters: Kim Jong Il's wives: Kim Jong Il's sons: Kim Jong Il's daughters: | |
Traditions | Juche | |
Estate(s) | Residences of North Korean leaders |
(Mount) Paektu bloodline | |
Chosŏn'gŭl | |
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Hancha | |
Revised Romanization | Baekdu-hyeoltong |
McCune–Reischauer | Paektu-hyŏlt'ong |
North Korea portal |
The Kim family, also known as the Kim dynasty or the Mount Paektu bloodline in the ideological discourse of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), is a three-generation lineage of North Korean leadership, descending from the country's founder and first leader, Kim Il Sung. The patriarch came to rule the north in 1948, after the end of Japanese rule split the region in 1945. He began the Korean War in 1950, in a failed attempt to reunify the Korean Peninsula. In the 1980s, Kim Il Sung developed a cult of personality closely tied to the North Korean state philosophy of Juche. Following his death in 1994, Kim Il Sung's role as supreme leader was passed on to his son Kim Jong Il, and then to his grandson Kim Jong Un. All three men have served as leaders of the WPK and have exercised absolute control over North Korea since the state's establishment in 1948.
The North Korean government denies that there is a personality cult surrounding the Kim family, describing the people's devotion to the family as a personal manifestation of support for their nation's leadership.[1] The Kim family has been described as a de facto absolute monarchy[2][3][4] or hereditary dictatorship.[5]
Historical overview
The Kim family has ruled North Korea since 1948
Kim developed a
Ancestry
Kim Il-sung was born in
Kim Hyong-jik's own parents, Kim Bo-hyon and Li Bo-ik,[20] were described as "patriots" by the Editorial Committee of the Short Biography of Kim Il Sung.[22]
Kim Il Sung
Kim Il Sung married twice and had six children. He met his first wife,
When Kim Il Sung's first wife died, Kim Song-ae was not recognized as Kim Il Sung's wife for several years. Neither partnership had public weddings.[25] Born Kim So’ng-p’al in the early 1920s in South P’yongyang Province, Kim Song-ae began her career as a clerical worker in the Ministry of National Defense where she first met Kim Il Sung in 1948. She was hired to work in his residence as an assistant to Kim Jong-suk. In addition to doing secretarial work for the Kims, she also looked after Kim Jong Il and Kim Kyong-hui. After Kim Jong-suk's 1949 death, Kim Song-ae began managing Kim Il Sung's household and domestic life.[26]
In 1953, Kim Song-ae gave birth to her first child with Kim Il Sung, a daughter named Kim Kyong-jin (Kim Kyo’ng-chin). She went on to have at least two other children with him, sons
Kim Kyong-hui became North Korea's first female four-star general.
Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il had four partners,
Kim Jong Un's two older brothers were considered "black sheep" of the family.[27] Kim Jong-nam likely fell out of favor due to advocating for reform in the government.[33] He had a reputation as a troublemaker within the family,[8] and publicly stated in 2011 that North Korea should transition out of his family's rule.[27] On 13 February 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated with the chemical nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.[34][35] Two women, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese, smeared the agent on Kim Jong-nam's face; both women were released after it was determined that they had been tricked by North Korean operatives, who had told them that the act was a prank for a Japanese comedy program and that the substance was lotion.[36][37] Four North Koreans fled Malaysia on the day of the murder.[36] Kim Jong-nam was survived by his wife and six children. His son, Kim Han-sol, has also criticized the regime. In an interview with Finnish media in 2012, Kim Han-sol openly criticized the reclusive regime and the government saying that he has always dreamed that one day he would return to his homeland to "make things better". Ever since the death of his father, his whereabouts have been unknown.[38] It was later revealed in 2019 that Jong-nam was a CIA informant prior to his assassination.[39]
The middle son, Kim Jong-chul, was reportedly not considered in succession considerations due to his unmasculine characteristics.[27] He is also known to be reserved.[8]
Kim Jong Un
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Kim Jong Un became North Korea's Supreme Leader on 29 December 2011.[24] He married Ri Sol-ju in either 2009 or 2010, and the couple reportedly had a daughter, Kim Ju-ae, in 2012.[17] His sister Kim Yo-jong had fallen out of favor with her brother for a few years but in 2017, she was elevated by Kim Jong Un to the powerful Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Jong Un made an effort to distinguish himself from the reputations of his father and brothers and has promoted the image of an academic who possesses a masculine and extroverted demeanor.[8]
In April 2020, a three-week absence from public view led to speculation that Kim was seriously ill or dead, but no clear evidence of any health problem came to light.[40][41] He continued to appear in public rarely over the following months, possibly because of health problems or the risk of COVID-19.[42] In August, it was reported that Kim had ceded a degree of authority to his sister, Kim Yo-jong, giving her responsibility for relations with South Korea and the United States and making her his de facto second-in-command.[43]
Possible successors
Kim Ju-ae
Kim Ju-ae is the daughter of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol-ju.[44]
Kim Ju-ae appeared in public for the first time at a missile launch in November 2022.[44][45] She had made five public appearances by early February 2023. State media initially called her Kim Jong Un's "beloved" daughter but soon began using the adjective "respected", which is reserved only for the most honoured members of North Korean society, such as Kim Ju-ae's parents.[46] Some analysts believe that her new public profile is an attempt to present the Kim family in the fashion of a traditional monarchy[45] or a response to rivalries within the North Korean government.[47] It has also led to speculation that she has been chosen as her father's successor, which could make her the first woman to serve as Supreme Leader.[46][48][49][50]
Kim Yo-jong
Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong Un, is considered a "rising star" within North Korean politics.[45] She has been groomed since an early age,[quantify] and has represented North Korea in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, becoming the first member of the Kim family to visit since the end of the war, and has also played a key role behind the scenes.[45] She met then-US President Donald Trump in 2018.
Kim Pyong-il
Unlikely heirs
Kim Jong-chul, the older brother of Kim Jong Un, has been described as "lacking in ambition" and to be more interested in Eric Clapton and playing guitars.[45]
Kim Jong Un is also reported to have two other children born a few years before and after Kim Ju-ae.[53][54][55]
Kim Il Sung's deceased brother, Kim Yong-ju, had two biological and two adopted children, whose identity and current positions within the North Korean government are obscure.[56]
Family tree
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Notes:
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See also
- Paektu Mountain
- List of heads of state of North Korea
- Supreme Leader (North Korean title)
- North Korean cult of personality
- O family
- Politics of North Korea
- Chŏnju Kim clan
References
Citations
- ^ Jason LaBouyer "When friends become enemies — Understanding left-wing hostility to the DPRK" Lodestar. May/June 2005: pp. 7–9. Korea-DPR.com. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
- ^ Young W. Kihl, Hong Nack Kim. North Korea: The Politics of Regime Survival. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, Inc., 2006. p. 56.
- ^ Robert A. Scalapino, Chong-Sik Lee. The Society. University of California Press, 1972. p. 689.
- ^ Bong Youn Choy. A history of the Korean reunification movement: its issues and prospects. Research Committee on Korean Reunification, Institute of International Studies, Bradley University, 1984. Pp. 117.
- ISBN 978-1-108-38200-7.
- ^ "Kim tells N Korean army to ready for combat". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera Media Network. 25 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Mullen, Jethro (9 September 2013). "Dennis Rodman tells of Korea basketball event, may have leaked Kim child's name". CNN. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2013. Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Next of Kim". The Economist. 23 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Lee 2004, p. 1–7.
- ^ a b Choe, Sang-hun (25 October 2013). "Following Dear Leader, Kim Jong-un Gets Title From University: Dr. Leader". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ Behnke, Alison (2008). Kim Jong Il's North Korea.
- ^ Kim 1982, p. 142.
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2013. Archivedfrom the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ a b Bishop, Rachel (31 August 2017). "Mystery deepens over Kim Jong-un's once-powerful aunt and key aide as fears grow she's "critically ill" in hospital". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ a b Choe, Sang-hun; Fackler, Martin (14 January 2009). "North Korea's Heir Apparent Remains a Mystery". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ Grzelczyk 2012, p. 37.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85728-234-7.
- ^ Martin 2007, p. 14.
- ^ Editorial Committee for the Short Biography of Kim Il Sung; Chʻulpʻansa, Oegungmun (1973). Kim Il Sung: short biography. Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e "Kim Family". North Korea Leadership Watch.
- ^ a b c "The Kim Family Tree". Time. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ Martin 2007, p. 187.
- ^ "Kim Song Ae (Kim So'ng-ae)". North Korea Leadership Watch. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ The Newsweek Daily Beast Company. Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ "The Life and Execution of Kim Hyun". Daily NK. 10 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Hong Il-ch'o'n (Hong Il Chon) | North Korea Leadership Watch". www.nkleadershipwatch.org. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ "Song Hye Rim (So'ng Hye-rim) | North Korea Leadership Watch". www.nkleadershipwatch.org. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ Demetriou, Danielle (17 February 2017). "Kim Jong-nam received 'direct warning' from North Korea after criticising regime of half-brother Kim Jong-un". The Telegraph. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ McKirdy, Euan (16 February 2017). "North Korea's ruling family: Who is Kim Jong Nam?". U.S.: CNN. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Kim Jong-nam Says N.Korean Regime Won't Last Long". The Chosun Daily (in Korean). 17 January 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ Park, Ju-min; Sipalan, Joseph (14 February 2017). "North Korean leader's half brother killed in Malaysia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "Kim Jong-un's half-brother 'assassinated with poisoned needles at airport'". The Independent. 14 February 2017.
- ^ a b Kim Jong-nam: Vietnamese woman freed in murder case, BBC News (3 May 2019).
- ^ Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Kim Jong-nam death: suspect Siti Aisyah released after charge dropped, The Guardian (11 March 2019).
- ^ "Kim Han Sol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged nephew, tired of life on the run: Reports". The Straits Times. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader, 'was a CIA informant'". the Guardian. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ O'Carroll, Chad (22 May 2020). "Amid health rumors, Kim Jong Un absent for two consecutive three-week periods". NK News.
- ^ O'Carroll, Chad (29 June 2020). "Amid all-time appearance lows, Kim Jong Un absent for another three-week period". NK News.
- ^ "Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's Kim Jong-un, now 'de facto second in command'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e White, Edward; Manson, Katrina (27 April 2020). "How Kim's sister could be next in line to rule North Korea". www.ft.com. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ a b Mackenzie, Jean (9 February 2023). "Succession questions raised by presence of Kim's daughter". BBC News. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Rai, Arpan (8 February 2023). "Kim Jong-un gives strongest hint yet about his successor at key military event". The Independent. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Lendon, Yoonjung Seo,Brad (8 February 2023). "Kim Jong Un puts daughter front and center at lavish military banquet". CNN. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b hermesauto (29 April 2020). "Kim Jong Un's uncle suddenly relevant after four decades abroad". The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ Levi 2010, p. 39n38.
- ^ "North Korea leader Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju". BBC. 25 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
Ms Ri is believed to have married Mr Kim in 2009 and given birth to a child the following year, analyst Cheong Seong-chang told the South Korean Korea Times newspaper.
- ^ "Keeping up with the Kims: North Korea's elusive first family". BBC. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Kim Jong-un 'has fathered his third child' after wife disappeared from public eye". The Telegraph. Agence France-Presse. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Kim Yong Ju". The New York Times. 5 July 1972.
Sources
- Grzelczyk, Virginie (Winter 2012). "In the Name of the Father, Son, and Grandson: Succession Patterns and the Kim Dynasty". The Journal of Northeast Asian History. 9 (2). Northeast Asian History Foundation: 35–68. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- Kim, Nam-Sik (Spring–Summer 1982). "North Korea's Power Structure and Foreign Relations: an Analysis of the Sixth Congress of the KWP". The Journal of East Asian Affairs. 2 (1). Institute for National Security Strategy: 125–151. JSTOR 23253510.
- Lee, Kyo Duk (2004). "The Successor Theory of North Korea". In Son, Gi-Woong (ed.). 'Peaceful Utilization of the DMZ' as a National Strategy (Report). Korean Institute for National Reunification. ISBN 898479225X.
- Levi, Nicolas (2010). "A Biography of Kim Pyong Il: The Second Dauphin?" (PDF). Parallax. VII (1): 33–47. ISSN 1353-4645.
- Martin, Bradley K. (2007). Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-4299-0699-9.
Further reading
- Buzo, Adrian (1999). The Guerilla Dynasty: Politics and Leadership in North Korea. London: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-86064-415-3.
- Lintner, Bertil (2005). Great Leader, Dear Leader: Demystifying North Korea Under the Kim Clan. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books. ISBN 978-974-9575-69-7.
External links
- Media related to Kim dynasty (North Korea) at Wikimedia Commons