Kim Jong-il

Kim Jong-il (born February 16, 1941) has ruled North Korea since 1994. He succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, who had led North Korea since 1948. Formerly styled as the Dear Leader {{ref|Formerly}}. Kim holds the positions of Chairman of the National Defense Committee and General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party. His birthday is a public holiday in North Korea.

International affairs

Kim Jong-il's government has made some efforts to improve relations with South Korea, and with the election of Kim Dae-jung as South Korean president in 1997 an opportunity for negotiations was created. In June 2000 a summit meeting was held, the first between the leaders of the two Koreas, and it seemed that a genuine thaw, leading to an influx of desperately needed South Korean aid and investment in the North, was possible. But the two sides were subsequently unable to agree on any substantial (as opposed to symbolic) improvement in their relations. (For additional details on the June 2000 summit between the leaders of the two Koreas, see Sunshine Policy.)

Related Topics:
South Korea - Kim Dae-jung - 1997 - 2000 - June - Sunshine Policy

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Kim's relationship with the United States has been equally difficult. During the Clinton administration, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang in 2000, and extracted a promise from Kim that the DPRK would not pursue its nuclear weapons program if the U.S. would agree to pay for a nuclear energy facility for the DPRK. This deal never came to fruition: the DPRK continued to develop nuclear capabilities, and the U.S. never paid for the substitute facility. The administration of George W. Bush adopted a tougher stance toward the DPRK, accusing it of nuclear blackmail. Bush declared the DPRK to be part of the "Axis of Evil" along with Iran and Baathist Iraq. The Chinese government has attempted to mediate between the DPRK and the United States.

Related Topics:
United States - Clinton - Madeleine Albright - 2000 - George W. Bush - Axis of Evil - Iran - Baathist - Iraq

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In April 2004 Kim paid an "unofficial visit" to Beijing (though news of the visit leaked out) and met with Chinese leaders who tried to persuade him that a U.S. invasion of North Korea was unlikely and that he should give up the country's nuclear weapons program.

Related Topics:
Beijing - The country's nuclear weapons program

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In spite of increased hopes for the resumption of the Six Party Talks on North Korean nuclear disarmament, in February 2005 Kim caught the international community flat-footed with the announcement that North Korea possessed a nuclear arsenal.

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