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88-578: The Third Floor Secretariat originally began as the private office of Kim Jong Il during his ascent in the 1970s. The term "Third Floor" refers to the initial location of the so-called "3rd Room" offices—situated in the three story office building within the Workers' Party Central Committee Office Complex in Pyongyang ’s Central District. Initially, "Third Floor Offices" described these specific offices (Offices #35, 38, and 39), but over time, it evolved into

176-530: A "Military-First" policy to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime. On the national scale, the Japanese Foreign Ministry acknowledges that this has resulted in a positive growth rate for the country since 1996, with the implementation of "landmark socialist-type market economic practices" in 2002, keeping the North afloat despite a continued dependency on foreign aid for food. In

264-413: A cerebral hemorrhage , and that Beijing dispatched five military doctors at the request of Pyongyang. Kim will require a long period of rest and rehabilitation before he fully recovers and has complete command of his limbs again, as with typical stroke victims". Japan's Mainichi Shimbun claimed Kim had occasionally lost consciousness since April. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun on 15 September, added that Kim

352-908: A 2009 consolidation, it was technically subordinate to the Reconnaissance General Bureau and vice chairman General O Kuk-ryol . However Officer #35's director reports through the Third Floor Secretariat and is un-officially, the main supervisor over the Reconnaissance General Bureau and possibly the Ministry of State Security. Under the Bureau, it is grouped with the Workers Party Operations Department, United Front Department , and for certain missions,

440-547: A French neurosurgeon was aboard a plane for Beijing, en route to North Korea. Further, Kim Sung-ho, director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed parliamentary session in Seoul that "Kim appeared to be recovering quickly enough to start performing his daily duties". The Dong-A Ilbo newspaper reported "a serious problem" with Kim's health. Japan's Fuji Television network reported that Kim's eldest son, Kim Jong-nam , traveled to Paris to hire

528-579: A bomb in the case of the second, saying the operation was ordered by Kim personally. On 24 December 1991, Kim was also named Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army . Defence Minister Oh Jin Wu , one of Kim Il Sung's most loyal subordinates, engineered Kim's acceptance by the Army as the next leader of North Korea, despite his lack of military service. In 1992, Kim Il Sung publicly stated that his son

616-579: A known earlier recording. It was also noted that Kim did not appear in public for the Olympic torch relay in Pyongyang on 28 April 2008. The question had reportedly "baffled foreign intelligence agencies for years". On 9 September 2008, various sources reported that after he did not show up that day for a military parade celebrating North Korea's 60th anniversary, United States intelligence agencies believed Kim might be "gravely ill" after having suffered

704-699: A meeting with Madeleine Albright , he agreed to a moratorium on missile construction. In 2002, Kim'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 United States under President George W. Bush . On 9 October 2006, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency announced that it had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test . Kim

792-755: A metonym for the broader Personal Secretariat that oversees the work of the General Secretary. Within North Korea, this office was commonly referred to as the "Headquarters of the Party Center, where Kim Jong Un resides." The Third Floor Secretariat is technically subordinate to the Party Central Committee but operates under the direct control of Kim Jong Il and later Kim Jong Un. Access to the Secretariat and its personnel

880-561: A military parade for the KPA's 60th anniversary and said: "Glory to the officers and soldiers of the heroic Korean People's Army!". These words were followed by a loud applause by the crowd at Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square where the parade was held. Kim was named Chairman of the National Defence Commission on 9 April 1993, making him day-to-day commander of the armed forces. According to defector Hwang Jang Yop ,

968-487: A neurosurgeon for his father, and showed footage where the surgeon boarded flight CA121 bound for Pyongyang from Beijing on 24 October. The French weekly Le Point identified him as Francois-Xavier Roux, neurosurgery director of Paris' Sainte-Anne Hospital, but Roux himself stated he was in Beijing for several days and not North Korea. On 19 December 2011, Roux confirmed that Kim suffered a debilitating stroke in 2008 and

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1056-505: A result of the new policy, the Kaesong Industrial Park was constructed in 2003 just north of the demilitarized zone . In 1994, North Korea and the United States signed an Agreed Framework which was designed to freeze and eventually dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid in producing two power-generating nuclear reactors and the assurance that it would not be invaded again. In 2000, after

1144-515: A sign of disloyalty. According to Hwang, Kim Jong Il personally directed even minor details of state affairs, such as the size of houses for party secretaries and the delivery of gifts to his subordinates. On 8 July 1994, Kim Il Sung died at the age of 82 from a heart attack. Kim Jong Il had been his father's designated successor as early as 1974, named commander-in-chief in 1991, and became Supreme Leader upon his father's death. He officially took over his father's old post as General Secretary of

1232-436: A stroke. He had last been seen in public a month earlier. A former CIA official said earlier reports of a health crisis were likely accurate. North Korean media remained silent on the issue. An Associated Press report said analysts believed Kim had been supporting moderates in the foreign ministry, while North Korea's powerful military was against so-called "Six-Party" negotiations with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and

1320-452: A subsequent best-selling book, The True Character of Kim Jong Il , Shigemura cited apparently unnamed people close to Kim's family along with Japanese and South Korean intelligence sources, claiming they confirmed Kim's diabetes took a turn for the worse early in 2000 and from then until his supposed death three-and-a-half years later he was using a wheelchair. Shigemura moreover claimed a voiceprint analysis of Kim speaking in 2004 did not match

1408-505: A white winter parka, Kim stood in front of trees with autumn foliage and a red-and-white banner. The Times questioned the authenticity of at least one of these photos. In November 2008, Japan's TBS TV network reported that Kim had suffered a second stroke in October, which "affected the movement of his left arm and leg and also his ability to speak". However, South Korea's intelligence agency rejected this report. In response to

1496-588: Is also said to have received English language education in Malta in the early 1970s on his infrequent holidays there as a guest of Prime Minister Dom Mintoff . The elder Kim had meanwhile remarried and had another son, Kim Pyong Il . Since 1988, Kim Pyong Il has served in a series of North Korean embassies in Europe and was the North Korean ambassador to Poland . Foreign commentators suspect that Kim Pyong Il

1584-460: Is controlled by the government." Kim's government was accused of " crimes against humanity " for its alleged culpability in creating and prolonging the 1990s famine . Human Rights Watch characterized him as a dictator and accused him of human rights violations . Amnesty International condemned him for leaving 'millions of North Koreans mired in poverty' and detaining hundreds of thousands of people in prison camps. Kim Jong Il claimed that

1672-450: Is divided into approximately six departments, three combat brigades, several bodyguard divisions, and one construction battalion. The unit is composed of 95,000-120,000 personnel. Bodyguard divisions are divided into at least two sections, Section 1 was dedicated to the protection of Kim Il Sung and Section 2 protected Kim Jong Il . It is unknown if Kim Jong Un has a new dedicated section. The Command has camps located throughout

1760-582: Is forbidden. Only one member per family is allowed to serve as a bodyguard. Recruits are then taken to special training camps for six months and are trained for a total of two years. Training includes, Taekwondo classes, marksmanship, 25 km marches in full gear and special operations tactics. According to defector Oh Young-nam, a former member of the State Security Department , the Supreme Guard Command published

1848-568: Is strictly restricted; Central Committee officials are prohibited from interacting with them without explicit authorization from the General Secretary. Even members of the Third Floor Secretariat are not permitted to use the conventional state communication lines, using separate networks, and often communicating in extremely complicated and convoluted "codes". The secretariat was established to consolidate Kim Jong Il's control over North Korea during his rise to power, centralizing decision-making and preventing inter-departmental communication. By controlling

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1936-478: Is that the people's adherence to Kim's cult of personality was solely out of respect for Kim Il Sung or out of fear of punishment for failure to pay homage. Media and government sources from outside North Korea generally support this view, while North Korean government sources aver that it was genuine hero worship. The song " No Motherland Without You ", sung by the KPA State Merited Choir ,

2024-587: The Escort Bureau , Guard Command , Bodyguard Command , SGC, Guard Bureau and the General Guard Bureau ) is the personal bodyguard force tasked with the protection of North Korea 's ruling Kim family . The current Supreme Guard commander is General Yun Jong-rin . North Korea's ruling family are claimed to be superstitious and so the Command's designation number is in reference to

2112-634: The Kim dynasty , and he assumed important posts in party and army organs. Kim succeeded his father and founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, following his death in 1994. Kim was the General Secretary of the WPK , WPK Presidium , Chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the fourth-largest standing army in

2200-545: The Ministry of State Security . Office #35 operatives have been implicated in weapons and narcotics trafficking to earn foreign currency to support intelligence collection operations. Within the Third-Floor Secretariat, Office #35 provides raw information from media sources and human sources which are used in the production of intelligence briefings for senior leaders. Office #38 is responsible for managing

2288-578: The Ponghwa Clinic , the Central Military Hospital, or Namsan Clinic) and education (attendance at Changgwang Kindergarten, Namsan Senior Middle School or Kim Il Sung University ). Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il ( / ˌ k ɪ m dʒ ɒ ŋ ˈ ɪ l / ; Korean :  김정일 ; Korean pronunciation: [kim.dzɔŋ.il] ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim ; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011)

2376-519: The numerological construct "9 and 6+3=9" (double nine), the number "9" being considered lucky. According to official history, the Command participated in the Korean War (known in North Korea as the "Fatherland Liberation War"). The unit has also produced 72 " heroes of labor " and 28 " heroes of the Republic ". The first incarnation of the Command was created in 1946. Between 1970-mid 1990s

2464-423: The 1990s, primarily due to mismanagement. In addition, North Korea experienced severe floods in the mid-1990s, exacerbated by poor land management. This, compounded with the fact that only 18% of North Korea is arable land and the country's inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry, led to a severe famine and left North Korea economically devastated. Faced with a country in decay, Kim adopted

2552-490: The 60th anniversary of the country with general secretary Kim Jong Il, we celebrated on our own". Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador said, "We see such reports as not only worthless, but rather as a conspiracy plot". Seoul's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that "the South Korean embassy in Beijing had received an intelligence report that Kim collapsed on 22 August". The New York Times reported on 9 September that Kim

2640-730: The Central Committee already appointed him successor to Kim Il Sung in 1974. The first public confirmation of Kim Jong Il's position as successor came in 1977, when in a booklet he was designated as Kim Il Sung's only heir. By the time of the Sixth Party Congress in October 1980, Kim's control of the Party operation was complete. He was given senior posts in the Presidium , the Military Commission and

2728-664: The Command was part of the State Security Department. However, to deal with several coup attempts, Kim Jong Il reorganized the Guard by dismissing dozens of officers and expanding his own private bodyguard unit by 200 men and named it the "2.16 Unit". On April 27, 2018, the SGC was deployed to protect Kim Jong Un during his visit to Panmunjon . The Command falls under the Korean People's Army Ground Force and

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2816-714: The Kim Family as phone operators, typists, bodyguards, nurses, or the infamous " Kippumjo ", tasked with providing various forms of entertainment and sexual activity for the government elite and occasionally distinguished guests. The Wangjaesan Light Music Band and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble are under the jurisdiction of the 5th Section. The External Investigations and Intelligence Department- Office #35 manages and coordinates intelligence collection, analysis, and operations primarily concerning South Korea, Japan, Europe and North America. As part of

2904-584: The Kim Family's finances, particularly the technical and logistical administration of Kim family funds. Office #38 controlled a network of holding companies involved in various legitimate hospitality, retail and restaurant businesses within North Korea and other Asian countries. Some Office #38 operatives were involved in acquiring a variety of goods from abroad, including appliances and technology such as MP3 Players, televisions, video players, automobiles, speedboats, furnishings and fixtures for elite housing, as well as foodstuffs and alcohol. Some of these goods are for

2992-584: The Kim Family's private and household life. Though it included advisors with whom Kim Jong Il discussed policies, the secretariat itself was not authorized to initiate or formulate policy, preserving North Korea's centralized ideological control. This structure maintained strict control over information and limited inter-departmental collaboration, centralizing all decision-making within the Kim family's inner circle. North Korean ministries were restricted from accessing comprehensive information on issues, ensuring that only

3080-442: The Kim family for over 20–30 years. Several hundred administrative and technical staff work at various residential complexes and live in high-quality designated housing on Changgwang Street in Pyongyang's Central District, across from Kim Jong Il's office, while senior staff are provided with luxury villas and personal cars. Many employees had direct, multi-generational ties to the Kim family. The secretariat's highest-ranking staff held

3168-592: The Kim family's residential and domestic life (chefs, food, and housekeeping). Several offices manage Kim Jong Un's personal financial holdings and expenditures, as well as purchase goods (food, furnishings, and appliances/technology) in Europe and East Asia. The Personal Secretariat links to the "Offices of the Third Floor", which collects intelligence, manages legitimate and illicit overseas businesses, and ensures other revenues from state owned enterprises and party-owned trading corporations are used, in part, to finance

3256-517: The North Korean government system became even more centralized and autocratic during the 1980s and 1990s under Kim than it had been under his father. In one example explained by Hwang, although Kim Il Sung required his ministers to be loyal to him, he nonetheless and frequently sought their advice during decision-making. In contrast, Kim Jong Il demanded absolute obedience and agreement from his ministers and party officials with no advice or compromise, and he viewed any slight deviation from his thinking as

3344-505: The North Korean government, managing information distribution and facilitating decisions on major state matters, giving it an indirect yet significant role in shaping decisions. According to Tae Yong-ho, the secretariat's influence was immense; given the overwhelming volume of reports—sometimes amounting to thousands of pages daily from each ministry—Tae speculated that Kim Jong Il likely did not read each document directly. Instead, Secretariat officials likely filtered information, presenting only

3432-598: The Third-Floor Secretariat. Office #39's companies have been implicated in cigarette bootlegging, documents and insurance fraud, currency counterfeiting and narcotics manufacturing and trafficking (poppies and methamphetamine). Office #39 also ensures foreign currency earning enterprises remit a percentage of their revenue to the Kim family. Unlike the rest of the Workers Party who are subject to frequent purges and demotions, Third Floor Secretariat staff enjoyed extensive job security, with senior members often having served

3520-583: The United States aimed towards ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons. Some United States officials noted that soon after rumours about Kim's health were publicized a month before, North Korea had taken a "tougher line in nuclear negotiations". In late August North Korea's official news agency reported the government would "consider soon a step to restore the nuclear facilities in Nyongbyon to their original state as strongly requested by its relevant institutions". Analysts said this meant "the military may have taken

3608-577: The Workers' Party of Korea on 8 October 1997. In 1998, he was re-elected as chairman of the National Defence Commission, and a constitutional amendment declared that post to be "the highest post of the state." Also in 1998, the Supreme People's Assembly wrote the president's post out of the constitution and designated Kim Il Sung as the country's " Eternal President " in order to honor his memory forever. Officially, Kim

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3696-596: The attendees sometimes shouted, "Long live Kim Pyong Il!" Kim Jong Il reported this to his father, knowing that it could be portrayed as a threat to the personality cult surrounding him. Reportedly, Kim Il Sung was infuriated and Pyong Il thus fell out of favor, strengthening Kim Jong Il's position. In 1979, Kim Pyong Il began a series of diplomatic postings in Europe , arranged so as then he couldn't influence politics in North Korea. Kim Pyong Il only returned to North Korea in 2019. According to Kim Jong Il's official biography,

3784-681: The barometer for distinguishing whether a person can be deemed a member of North Korean society and hence entitled to rights 'lies not on the grounds of his social class but on the grounds of his ideology'. In an August 2008 issue of the Japanese newsweekly Shūkan Gendai , Waseda University professor Toshimitsu Shigemura, an authority on the Korean Peninsula , claimed that Kim died of diabetes in late 2003 and had been replaced in public appearances by one or more stand-ins previously employed to protect him from assassination attempts. In

3872-516: 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 bombing in Rangoon , Burma which killed 17 visiting South Korean officials, including four cabinet members, and another in 1987 which killed all 115 onboard Korean Air Flight 858 . A North Korean agent, Kim Hyon Hui , confessed to planting

3960-552: The country, usually near official residences, and has a strong presence in Pyongyang . The Command also monitors key military and party figures to ensure the safety of the Kim family. It also coordinates with the Pyongyang Defense Command (with its 70,000 men) and III Corps (North Korea) for the defense of the capital and other strategic locations. These other military units provide an additional 95,000-100,000 soldiers, plus artillery and armored vehicles, for

4048-466: The course of general education between September 1950 and August 1960. He attended Primary School No. 4 and Middle School No. 1 ( Namsan Higher Middle School ) in Pyongyang. This is contested by foreign academics, who believe he is more likely to have received his early education in the People's Republic of China as a precaution to ensure his safety during the Korean War . Throughout his schooling, Kim

4136-498: The defense of the country's leadership. According to the testimonies of North Korean defector Lee Young-kuk , recruiters for the Guard look for new recruits in high schools where students are lined up for inspection. Physical prerequisites include no facial scars and a well-proportioned body. Potential candidates have their family histories scrutinized for party loyalty and good " songbun ". Once chosen, they are given an ID number while all other records are erased; contact with family

4224-438: The flow of information to his father, Kim Il Sung , Kim Jong Il effectively became the de facto leader of North Korea in the 1970s, reducing his father's role to that of a symbolic figurehead. The secretariat managed essential functions, including overseeing paperwork, coordinating Kim Jong Il's schedule, ensuring security, and handling logistical operations. The Secretariat also includes other departments and offices which manage

4312-412: The following year. However, when Kim Il Sung began to contemplate the succession question in the early 1970s, it was not certain that Kim Jong Il would be his successor. There was Kim's uncle, Kim Yong-ju , who was once believed to be Kim Il Sung's eventual successor but who had made several mistakes in the struggle for power, had serious flaws, and was becoming increasingly marginalized. Then there

4400-501: The following year. Kim Jong Suk died in 1949 from an ectopic pregnancy. In 1945, Kim was four years old when World War II ended and Korea regained 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 . The family moved into a former Japanese officer's mansion in Pyongyang, with a garden and pool. Kim's brother drowned there in 1948. According to his official biography, Kim completed

4488-573: The government and the country. Although not required to stand for popular election to his key offices, he was unanimously elected to the Supreme People's Assembly every five years, representing a military constituency, due to his concurrent capacities as supreme commander of the KPA and chairman of the NDC. Kim had a "reputation for being almost comically incompetent in matters of economic management". The economy of North Korea struggled throughout

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4576-437: The government began building a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader". Kim 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. By the 1980s, North Korea began to experience severe economic stagnation. Kim Il Sung's policy of Juche (self-reliance) cut

4664-419: The health of the ailing leader. By 29 October 2008, reports stated Kim suffered a serious setback and had been taken back to the hospital. The New York Times reported that Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso , on 28 October 2008, stated in a parliamentary session that Kim had been hospitalized: "His condition is not so good. However, I don't think he is totally incapable of making decisions". Aso further said

4752-542: The most critical reports to him, allowing trusted aides to handle routine decisions. The Consolidation Division , often regarded as Kim Jong Un's gatekeeper, manages the flow of reports, documents, and policies that reach him. It coordinates with the Organization and Guidance Department , State Affairs Commission , and the General Affairs Department to handle paperwork and document delivery to

4840-534: 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. Prior to 1980, he had no public profile and was referred to only as the "Party Centre". At this time Kim assumed the title "Dear Leader" ( Korean :  친애하는 지도자 ; MR :  ch'inaehanŭn jidoja ), and

4928-515: The party, Kim Il Sung called for loyalty in the film industry that had betrayed him with An Act of Sincerity . Kim Jong Il himself announced that he was up to the task and thus begun his influential career in North Korean film-making, during which he made significant efforts to further intensify the personality cult of his father and attach himself to it. Kim Jong Il was elected to the Central Committee in 1972 and became its secretary

5016-520: The position of deputy director within the Organization and Guidance Department. Certain members, such as the women of the Cadres’ 5th Section, held junior officer ranks in the Korean People's Army (KPA), while other staff had equivalent civilian ranks. The ranking of Third Floor Secretariat employees serves as a cover which provides them access to income, and benefits for health (medical treatment at

5104-411: The process including medical exams, document screenings, interviews, before being selected for specialized training. This may include entertainment but also nursing, security, household management, and communication services. After selection, they are commissioned as officers in the military and are either sent to the Supreme Guard Command, Ponghwa Hospital, while the most beautiful and talented are sent to

5192-507: The rest. The Office of Secretaries manages foreign affairs. It is responsible for the reports and communications submitted from diplomatic representatives. It also collects reports from, and manages, Kim Jong Un's unofficial overseas network that submits information and sometimes procures items for him. The Office of Adjutants oversaw the Kim family's bodyguard corps and supervised the Supreme Guard Command , responsible for

5280-490: The role of the military by his Songun ("military-first") policies, making the army the central organizer of civil society. Kim's rule also saw tentative economic reforms, including the opening of the Kaesong Industrial Park in 2003. In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him and his successors as the "supreme leader of the DPRK". The most common colloquial title given to Kim during his lifetime

5368-548: The ruling WPK and succeeded him. After his death, alongside "Eternal General Secretary" of the WPK, Kim Jong Il was declared "Eternal Chairman" of the now defunct National Defence Commission , in keeping with the tradition of establishing eternal posts for the dead members of the Kim dynasty . North Korean media also began referring to Kim as "the General" ( Changun ), similar to his father's posthumous designation as "the [eternal] President". Soviet records show that Kim Jong Il

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5456-567: The rumors regarding Kim's health and supposed loss of power, in April 2009, North Korea released a video showing Kim visiting factories and other places around the country between November and December 2008. In 2010, leaked diplomatic cables purportedly attested that Kim suffered from epilepsy . According to The Daily Telegraph , Kim was a chain-smoker . Supreme Guard Command Supreme Guard Command ( Korean :  호위사령부 ; Hanja :  護衛司令部 ) (also known as Unit 963 ,

5544-401: The secretariat had a complete understanding of various matters. This centralized authority enabled Kim Jong Il to exert nearly absolute power, as all information and decisions had to pass through the secretariat before reaching him, effectively eliminating independent channels of authority. While the secretariat did not create policies, it served as the primary interface between the Kim family and

5632-420: The secretariat. North Korean ministries are required to submit two types of reports: weekly strategic reports and daily reports on routine issues. The weekly reports, submitted every Wednesday, provide in-depth analysis and do not require immediate sign-off from the Kim family. In contrast, daily reports address more urgent, everyday matters needing prompt approval. Until the early 1990s, these reports were faxed to

5720-447: The secretariat; however, Kim Jong Il later switched to email. When Kim reviewed a report, he would either sign it or date it, designating it as a "document personally signed and ratified." Reports he simply reviewed and returned were marked as "documents viewed [by the leader]" or "Central Committee orders." The most important documents were those with his personal signature or specific instructions. According to defector Tae Yong-ho, there

5808-495: The security of the Kim family. It also collaborated with the Guard Command's Security Department to manage Kim Jong Un's communications systems, including telephone, fax, and internet facilities. The Cadres’ 5th Section recruited, trained, and staffed groups of female entertainers, including singers, musicians, and dancers, to perform for the Kim family. The 5th section selects female students ages fourteen to sixteen, with

5896-569: The semblance of a free market system". In 2002, Kim declared that "money should be capable of measuring the worth of all commodities." 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. An unsuccessful devaluation of the North Korean won in 2009, initiated or approved by Kim personally, caused brief economic chaos and uncovered

5984-418: The upper hand and that Kim might no longer be wielding absolute authority". By 10 September, there were conflicting reports. Unidentified South Korean government officials said Kim had undergone surgery after suffering a minor stroke and had apparently "intended to attend 9 September event in the afternoon but decided not to because of the aftermath of the surgery". Kim Yong Nam said, "While we wanted to celebrate

6072-496: The use the Kim family and subordinates while other goods are given to party, government, and military elites to maintain loyalty. Office #39 is the primary manager of a network of legitimate and illicit companies for earning foreign currency for the Third Floor Secretariat. Office #39 began as a subunit Central Committee's Finance and Accounting Department in the 1970s to sell gold and other minerals from mines, but officially became an independent party department in 1988, reporting to

6160-431: The vulnerability of the country's societal fabric in the face of crisis. Kim was known as a skilled and manipulative diplomat. In 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung implemented the " Sunshine Policy " to improve North-South relations and to allow South Korean companies to start projects in the North. Kim announced plans to import and develop new technologies to develop North Korea's fledgling software industry. As

6248-512: 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 the Stanford University Asia–Pacific Research Center , this flirtation with capitalism was "fairly limited, but – especially compared to the past – there are now remarkable markets that create

6336-427: The world. Kim ruled North Korea as a repressive and totalitarian dictatorship. Kim assumed leadership during a period of catastrophic economic crisis amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union , on which it was heavily dependent for trade in food and other supplies, which brought a famine . While the famine had ended by the late 1990s, food scarcity continued to be a problem throughout his tenure. Kim strengthened

6424-422: The younger Kim took part in the investigation and purges that followed the incident. In addition, Kim Jong Il gave a speech at the plenum; it was his first as a figure of authority. Kim Jong Il's name was also mentioned in public documents, possibly for the first time, indicating that Kim Il Sung might have already planned for Jong Il to succeed him as leader. Only six months after, in an unscheduled meeting of

6512-400: Was "Dear Leader" to distinguish him from his father Kim Il Sung, the "Great Leader". Following Kim's failure to appear at important public events in 2008, foreign observers assumed that Kim had either fallen seriously ill or died. On 19 December 2011, the North Korean government announced that he had died two days earlier, whereupon his third son, Kim Jong Un, was promoted to a senior position in

6600-478: Was "very ill and most likely suffered a stroke a few weeks ago, but United States intelligence authorities do not think his death is imminent". The BBC noted that the North Korean government denied these reports, stating that Kim's health problems were "not serious enough to threaten his life", although they did confirm that he had suffered a stroke on 15 August. Japan's Kyodo News agency reported on 14 September, that "Kim collapsed on 14 August due to stroke or

6688-659: Was Kim Il Sung's first wife. Inside his family, he was nicknamed "Yura", while his younger brother Kim Man Il (born Aleksandr Kim) was nicknamed "Shura". Kim's official biography states he was born in a secret military camp on Paektu Mountain ( Korean :  백두산밀영고향집 ; Baekdusan Miryeong Gohyang jip ) in Korea, Empire of Japan on 16 February 1942. According to one comrade of Kim's mother, Lee Min, word of Kim's birth first reached an army camp in Vyatskoye via radio and that both Kim and his mother did not return there until

6776-503: Was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea . He led North Korea from the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994 until his death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Un . Afterwards, Kim Jong Il was declared Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). In the early 1980s, Kim had become the heir apparent for the leadership of North Korea, thus being established

6864-568: Was born Yuri Kim. In literature, it is assumed that he was born in 1941 in either the camp of Vyatskoye , near Khabarovsk , or camp Voroshilov near Nikolsk . According to Lim Jae Cheon, Kim cannot have been born in Vyatskoye as Kim Il Sung's war records show that he arrived at Vyatskoye only in July 1942 and had been living in Voroshilov before, thus Kim Jong Il is generally agreed to have been born in Voroshilov. Kim's mother, Kim Jong-suk ,

6952-507: Was created especially for Kim in 1992 and is frequently broadcast on the radio and from loudspeakers on the streets of Pyongyang. According to a 2004 Human Rights Watch report, the North Korean government under Kim was "among the world's most repressive governments", having up to 200,000 political prisoners according to U.S. and South Korean officials, with no freedom of the press or religion, political opposition or equal education: "Virtually every aspect of political, social, and economic life

7040-493: 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 in February was the occasion for massive celebrations, exceeded only by those for the 80th birthday of Kim Il Sung himself on 15 April that same year. In 1992, Kim made his first public speech during

7128-586: Was involved in politics. He was active in the Korean Children's Union and the Democratic Youth League of North Korea (DYL), taking part in study groups of Marxist political theory and other literature. In September 1957, he became vice-chairman of his middle school's DYL branch (the chairman had to be a teacher). He pursued a programme of anti-factionalism and attempted to encourage greater ideological education among his classmates. Kim

7216-483: Was no way to confirm whether Kim Jong Il personally read each report, only skimmed the titles, or ignored some entirely. The volume of reports was overwhelming—thousands of pages from the foreign ministry alone, replicated across other ministries. Tae speculated that the Consolidation Division likely filtered the reports, sending only the most critical ones to Kim while making decisions on his behalf for

7304-404: Was part of a triumvirate heading the executive branch of the North Korean government along with Premier Choe Yong Rim and parliament chairman Kim Yong Nam (no relation). Kim commanded the armed forces, Choe Yong Rim headed the government and handled domestic affairs and Kim Yong Nam handled foreign relations. However, in practice, Kim, like his father before him, exercised absolute control over

7392-510: Was sent to these distant posts by his father in order to avoid a power struggle between his two sons. Kim Jong Il officially joined the Workers' Party of Korea in July 1961. He rose up the ranks during the 1960s, and benefited greatly from the Kapsan faction incident around 1967, which was the last credible challenge to Kim Il Sung's rule. This incident marked the first time Kim Jong Il was – at age 26 – given official duties by his father, when

7480-670: Was staying at the Bongwha State Guest House. He was apparently conscious "but he needs some time to recuperate from the recent stroke, with some parts of his hands and feet paralyzed". It cited Chinese sources which claimed that one cause for the stroke could have been stress brought about by the United States delay to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. On 19 October, North Korea reportedly ordered its diplomats to stay near their embassies to await "an important message", according to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun , setting off renewed speculation about

7568-480: Was the focus of an elaborate personality cult inherited from his father and founder of the DPRK, Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Il was often the centre of attention throughout ordinary life in the DPRK. On his 60th birthday (based on his official date of birth), mass celebrations occurred throughout the country on the occasion of his Hwangap . In 2010, the North Korean media reported that Kim's distinctive clothing had set worldwide fashion trends. The prevailing point of view

7656-492: Was the more serious threat posed by his stepmother's, Kim Song-ae 's, children, especially by the eldest, Kim Pyong Il . In the end, Kim Jong Il won out: Kim Yong-ju was removed from his top posts and demoted to vice-premier. Then Kim Song-ae lost her position as chair of the KDWL , which was her vital power base. Kim Pyong Il had many positive characteristics but he was also known as a womanizer who threw raucous parties where

7744-415: Was treated by himself and other French doctors at Pyongyang's Red Cross Hospital. Roux said Kim suffered few lasting effects. On 5 November 2008, the North's Korean Central News Agency published 2 photos showing Kim posing with dozens of Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers on a visit to military Unit 2200 and sub-unit of Unit 534. Shown with his usual bouffant hairstyle, with his trademark sunglasses and

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