Kim Il Sung
(1912-1994)
Biographical Summary
With the Turning of the Century
Entering the modern times, Korea, with its 5,000-year-long history and brilliant culture, gradually weakened in national power, for the feudal Joson dynasty's reactionary policy of flunkeyism and slavish dependence on outside forces did little to halt its decline. Exposed to great-power competition, the country was reduced to a theatre for the imperialist powers, and, alas, placed under Japanese military occupation in 1905. But there was hope, for it was none other than Comrade Kim Il Sung who would save the Korean nation from the miserable fate of ruination.
Birth and lineage
Born in Mangyongdae, Pyongyang, on April 15, Juche 1 (1912), to a revolutionary family devoted to Korea's liberation and the people's happiness, Kim Il Sung embarked upon the road of revolutionary struggle for Korea’s liberation in his teens. His father, Kim Hyong Jik, was a prominent leader of the national liberation movement, and his mother, Kang Pan Sok, was a leader of the communist women's movement.
Childhood and early education
Kim Il Sung spent his childhood under the harsh conditions of Japanese colonial rule. Kim Il Sung received his early education in Korea and China, studying Marxism-Leninism and taking part in revolutionary activities. In the course of groping for the road of the Korean revolution, Kim Il Sung formed the Down-with-Imperialism Union on October 17, Juche 15 (1926), beginning the organised revolutionary struggle against Japanese imperialism.
Revolutionary struggle
Kim Il Sung devoted himself to authoring the Juche idea and the Songun idea whilst simultaneously commanding the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle for two decades. Kim Il Sung founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army and led the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle until finally achieving the historic cause of Korea’s liberation on August 15 Juche 34 (1945).
Liberation and founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Following his triumphal return to the liberated homeland, Kim Il Sung lost no time in founding the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Il Sung carried out the democratic reforms, such as the land reforms, indstrial nationalisation and the Law on Gender Equality, whilst simultaneously forging a regular armed force. Based on these historic accomplishments, Kim Il Sung founded the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on September 9, Juche 37 (1948), thus establishing the first democratic state in the East.
The Korean War
Kim Il Sung heroically safeguarded the sovereignty and dignity of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the Korean War(1950-1953), provoked by the US in an attempt to stifle the two-year-old Republic in its cradle. Kim Il Sung carried out the socialist revolution after the war, leading the socialist construction of several stages to victory, thus turning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea into a socialist power, independent in politics, self-sufficient in the economy and self-reliant in defence.
The Peaceful Reunification of Korea
Kim Il Sung put forward the principles and proposals for achieving the independent reunification of the country without interference from outside powers, including the Three Principles of National Reunification, the Ten-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation and the Proposal on Founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo, and devoted his all for the national reunification cause until the last day of his life.
International support
Kim Il Sung defined independence, peace and friendship as the basic ideal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's foreign policy and enhanced its international prestige through his energetic external activities. Kim Il Sung supported national liberation struggles and anti-imperialist movements all over the world and strengthened international solidarity. Kim Il Sung made contributions to the development of relations between Korea and other countries on the basis of independence and mutual respect.
Global Praise
Amongst the praise of the Juche Korean people and the socialists and progressives all over the world, former US President Jimmy Carter said that President Kim Il Sung was greater than the three American Presidents who had represented the nation-building and destiny of the United States-George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln-put together.
Passing and immortalisation
Kim Il Sung continued to lead the Korean revolution and socialist construction tirelessly until his passing on July 8, Juche 83 (1994). Showing his devotion to Korea and the Juche Korean people. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea posthumously immortalised Kim Il Sung with the title of Eternal President on the occasion of the 1st Session of the 10th Supreme People's Assembly on September 5, Juche 87 (1998). Kim Il Sung will always be alive in the hearts of the Juche Korean people and the world socialists and progressives as the founding father of Juche Korea, pioneer of the cause of independence of humankind, Eternal President of the Republic and the Eternal Leader of Juche Korea.
Official Titles
- Eternal President of the Republic
- Eternal Leader of Juche Korea
- President of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Chairman of the Political Committee of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Generalissimo of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Member of the Political Committee of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Fatherly Leader
- Great Leader
- Sun of the 20th Century
- Sun of the Nation
Comprehensive Biographical Archive
Selected Publications
- 17 October 1926 Let Us Overthrow Imperialism
- December 1931 On Organizing and Waging Armed Struggle Against Japanese Imperialism
- 25 April 1932 On the Occasion of Founding the Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army
- 29 March 1937 Let Us Inspire the People with Hopes of National Liberation by Advancing With Large Forces into the Homeland
- 1 June 1937 Proclamation
- 4 June 1937 Let Us Fight on Staunchly for the Liberation of the Fatherland
- 20 August 1945 For the Construction of the Party, State, and Armed Forces in the Liberated Fatherland
- 17 December 1945 On the Work of Organizations at All Levels of the Communist Party of North Korea
- 8 February 1946 On the Present Political Situation in Korea and the Organization of the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea (NKPPC)
- 15 February 1946 Current State and Tasks of the Party
- 10 April 1946 The Results of the Agrarian Reform and Future Tasks
- 20 June 1946 On the Draft Labor Law
- 29 July 1946 Present Political Situation and our New Duties
- 29 August 1946 For the Establishment of a United Party of the Working Masses
- 26 September 1946 On the Establishment of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Question of Founding the Workers' Party of South Korea
- 19 February 1947 Report of the 1947 People's Economic Development in North Korea
- 15 March 1947 On the Elimination of Shortcomings and Errors in the Work of Some Party Organizations
- 15 August 1947 Report Commemorating the Second Anniversary of the August 15 Liberation
- 6 February 1948 Summation of the 1947 Economic Plan and on the 1948 People's Economic Development Plan
- 8 February 1948 On the Occasion of the Founding of the Korean People's Army
- 28 March 1948 Report to the Second Congress of the Workers' Party of North Korea on the Work of the Central Committee
- 10 September 1948 Political Program of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- 1 February 1949 The Completion of the Two-Year People's Economic Plan is the Materialistic Guarantee of the Fatherland Unification
- 9 September 1949 The First Anniversary of the Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- 26 June 1950 Every Effort for Victory in the War
- 21 December 1950 The Present Situation and Our Tasks
- 1 November 1951 On Some Defects in the Organizational Work of Party Organization
- 4 April 1952 Speech to the Political Workers and Security Organization Cadres
- 15 December 1952 The Organizational and Ideological Consolidation of the Party is the Basis of Our Victory
- 5 August 1953 Everything for the Postwar Rehabilitation and the Development of the National Economy
- 20 December 1953 Precious International Aid by the Peoples of the Fraternal Countries
- 3 November 1954 On Our Party Policy for the Further Development of Agricultural Management
- April 1955 Every Effort for the Country's Reunification and Independence and for Socialist Construction in the Northern Half of the Republic
- 1 April 1955 On Further Intensifying the Class Education of the Party Members
- 1 April 1955 On Eliminating Bureaucracy
- 4 April 1955 On Some Questions of Party and State Work in the Present Stage of the Socialist Revolution
- 28 December 1955 On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work
- 23 April 1956 Report of the Works of the Central Committee to the Third Party Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
- 5 December 1957 On the Work of the Party and Government Delegation Which Attended Celebrations of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution and the Meetings of Representatives of the Communist and Workers' Parties of Various Countries in Moscow
- 6 March 1958 On the Reform of Party Works
- 7 March 1958 For the Successful Fulfillment of the First Five-Year Plan
- 29 April 1958 For the Implementation of the Judicial Policy of Our Party
- 11 June 1958 Everything for the Prosperity and Development of the Country
- 5 January 1959 On the Victory of Socialist Agricultural Cooperativization and the Further Development of Agriculture in Our Country
- 4 September 1959 Let Us Hold Firmly the Key Handle in Solving Problems and Concentrate Our Energy
- 4 December 1959 On Several Tasks Confronting the Socialist Economic Construction
- 23 February 1960 On the Lessons Drawn from Guidance to the Work of the Kangso Country Party Committee
- 11 September 1961 Report of the Work of the Central Committee to the Fourth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
- 18 December 1961 On the Formation of the Country Cooperative Farm Management Committee
- 8 March 1962 On Improving and Strengthening Organizational and Ideological Work of the Party
- 23 October 1962 On the Immediate Tasks of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- 8 February 1963 Our People's Army is an Army of the Working Class, an Army of the Revolution; Class and Political Education Should Be Continuously Strengthened
- 25 February 1964 Theses on the Socialist Rural Question in Our Country
- 15 May 1964 On the Tasks of the League of Socialist Working Youth
- 23 June 1964 Speech to the Delegates to the Asian Economic Seminar
- 14 April 1965 On Socialist Construction in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the South Korean Revolution
- 10 October 1965 On the Occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Workers' Party of Korea
- 5 October 1966 The Present Situation and the Tasks of Our Party
- 18 October 1966 On the Elimination of Formalism and Bureaucracy in the Party Work and Revolutionizing the Functionaries
- 25 May 1967 On the Immediate Tasks in the Direction of the Party's Propaganda Work
- 25 May 1967 On the Questions of the Period of Transition from Capitalism to Socialism and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat
- 16 December 1967 Let Us Embody the Revolutionary Spirit of Independence, Self-Sustenance and Self-Defense More Thoroughly in All Fields of State Activity
- 27 May 1968 On Strengthening the Guidance of the Party Life of Party Members and Properly Implementing the Cadre Policy of Our Party
- 7 September 1968 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the Banner of Freedom and Independence for Our People and a Powerful Weapon for Building Socialism and Communism
- 1 March 1969 On Some Theoretical Problems of the Socialist Economy
- 2 November 1970 Report to the Fifth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on the Work of the Central Committee
- 25 September 1971 On Several Questions of Domestic and International Policies of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of the Republic
- 11 October 1971 Answers to the Questions Raised by the Iraqi Journalists' Delegation
- 2 December 1971 On Improving and Strengthening the Training of Party Cadres
- 17 September 1972 On Some Problems of Our Party's Juche Idea and the Government of the Republic's Internal and External Policies
- 25 December 1972 Let Us Further Strengthen the Socialist System of Our Country
- 1 February 1973 On Some Problems for the Improvement of the Management of the Socialist Economy
- 21 February 1973 On the Development of Ideological Revolution, Technical Revolution, and Cultural Revolution in the Farming Villages
- 23 June 1973 Let Us Prevent a National Split and Reunify the Country
- 25 June 1973 On the Five-point Policy for National Reunification
- 10 January 1974 Let Us Further Consolidate and Develop the Great Success Achieved in the Building of a Socialist Countryside
- 24 September 1974 On the Situation of Our Country and Tasks of the League of Korean Youth in Japan
- 29 November 1974 Problems Arising From the Thorough Implementation of the Agrarian Theses
- 3 March 1975 Further Assist the Socialist Construction by Developing the Three Revolutions
- 31 May 1975 Answers to the Questions Raised by an AFP Correspondent
- 9 October 1975 On the Occasion of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Workers' Party of Korea
- 29 April 1977 The Land Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- 29 April 1977 On the Land Law
- 5 September 1977 Theses on Socialist Education
- 15 December 1977 Let us Further Strengthen the People's Government
- 10 October 1980 Report on the Work of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Delivered at the Sixth Congress of the Party
- 20 June 1986 For the Development of the Non-Aligned Movement
- 14 November 1989 On Developing Kangwon Province as a Good Tourist Resort
- 29 April 1991 For a Free and a Peaceful New World
- 6 April 1993 10 Point Programme for the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country
Historical Gallery
Research Context & Primary Source Disclaimer
This page presents official biographical and historical materials from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a curated and truthful source for scholars, writers, researchers and publishing/research organisations with an interest in historic and contemporary China, Korea, Japan and East Asian studies.
This archive is intended for scientific research and official educational purposes. The views, statements, and characterisations expressed are exclusively based on the sources mentioned below from and have been extensively tested to reflect our high standards on quality and historical accuracy and has thereby gained approval for publication by the Boomgaard Foreign Languages Publishing Company.
All readers are advised to thoroughly read the sources mentioned below when studying the history of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Sources & Further Reading
The following links provide access to primary-source materials and additional context for researchers:
- The Official Website of The Korean Central News Agency. (Primary source repository)
- The Official Website of The Rodong Sinmun Official Newspaper of Record. (Academic and journalistic coverage)
- The Official Web Portal of The Government of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Web Portal for additional context and research)
- The Official Website of The Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il Foundation. (Archival and historical materials repository)
- The Official Website of The Foreign Languages Publishing House. (Central publishing bureau of foreign-language documents)
- The Official Website of The Korean Friendship Association. (Additional information about the culture and history of the Korean people)
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