Kim Il-sung

Kim Il-sung (April 15, 1912–July 8, 1994) was a Korean Communist politician and the ruler of North Korea from 1948 until his death. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994, but the real source of his power was his post as General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party. He is noted for the extent of his personality cult: North Korea officially refers to him as the Great Leader and he is enshrined in the constitution as the country's "eternal President." His birthday is a public holiday in North Korea.

Later years

From about this time, however, the DPRK encountered increasing economic difficulties. The practical effect of Juche was to seal the DPRK off from virtually all foreign trade. The economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping in China after 1976 meant that trade with the backward economy of the DPRK held decreasing interest for China, while the fall of communism in the Soviet Union in 1991 completed the DPRK's isolation. This, added to the continuing high level of expenditure on armaments, led to a steadily mounting economic crisis. The contrast between the DPRK's poverty and the booming economy of South Korea became increasingly glaring, but the residents of the DPRK were completely shut off from news of the outside world.

Related Topics:
Deng Xiaoping - 1976 - 1991

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During the 1970s, Kim's personality cult grew ever more extensive and invasive. The West claimed Kim personally supervised virtually every aspect of life in the DPRK, and almost supernatural powers were attributed to him. The DPRK repeatedly claimed that Korea would be re-united before Kim's 70th birthday in 1982, and there were fears in the West that Kim would launch a new Korean War, but by this time the disparity in economic and military power between the DPRK and the South, still backed by the U.S., made such an adventure impossible. Realising this, Kim placed his son in charge of developing nuclear weapons for the DPRK.

Related Topics:
1970s - Personality cult - 1982 - Nuclear weapons

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Around this time Kim is thought to have developed a large growth on the rear of his neck. All subsequent photographs were made from an angle that concealed the growth. It is not known whether this condition had any connection with his death.

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