Kim Jong-il

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Lore & Background

After failing to appear at important public events in 2008, foreign observers assumed Kim had either fallen seriously ill or died. After this point, Kim made efforts to promote his third son, Kim Jong Un, as his successor, promoting him to high ranking posts in the WPK in 2010. On 19 December 2011, the North Korean government announced that he had died two days earlier. After his death, alongside 'Eternal General Secretary' of the WPK, Kim Jong Il was declared 'Eternal Chairman' of the National Defence Commission, in keeping with the tradition of establishing eternal posts for the dead members of the Kim family. Kim was born in 1941 in the far eastern region of the Soviet Union and moved to Pyongyang in 1945 following the end of Japanese rule. He joined the WPK in 1961 and rose through its ranks, joining the Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD) in 1966. He was responsible for investigations following the Kapsan faction incident in 1967, and played a key role in the development of the North Korean cult of personality and the Monolithic Ideological System. He became PAD director in 1973, and was formally designated as Kim Il Sung's successor in 1980.

Reader's Guide

Kim Jong Il's significance lies in his continuation of his father's totalitarian rule and his adaptation of North Korea's governance during a period of severe economic hardship. His Songun policy elevated the military to the central organizer of civil society, ensuring regime survival despite famine and international isolation. He oversaw North Korea's entry into the nuclear club with its first nuclear test in 2006, which fundamentally altered regional security dynamics and led to international sanctions against North Korea, followed by another nuclear test in 2009. His development of the cult of personality, including the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System, further entrenched the Kim family's absolute authority. The tentative economic reforms, such as the opening of the Kaesong Industrial Region in 2003, showed limited openness, but overall his legacy is one of repression, nuclear proliferation, and the perpetuation of a dynastic dictatorship. His death and the smooth succession to his son Kim Jong Un demonstrated the durability of the North Korean political system he helped shape.

Did You Know?

• Kim Jong Il was born in 1941 in the far eastern region of the Soviet Union, not in Korea as his official biography claims.
• He joined the Workers' Party of Korea in July 1961 and rose through the ranks, benefiting from the Kapsan faction incident in 1967.
• Kim Jong Il produced a film adaptation of the North Korean opera 'Sea of Blood' in 1969.
• He oversaw North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006, making it the world's ninth nuclear-armed state.
• After his death, Kim Jong Il was declared 'Eternal Chairman' of the National Defence Commission, alongside being 'Eternal General Secretary' of the WPK.