X-Nico

16 unusual facts about Kim Jong-Il


Dominican Republic passport

In May 2001, Kim Jong-nam, the son of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, was arrested at Narita International Airport, in Tokyo, Japan, travelling on a forged Dominican Republic passport.

Hole in one

According to North Korean state media, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il scored 11 holes-in-one over 18 holes in his first and only round of golf.

Hwang Sok-yong

The novel is still topical today after Kim Dae-jung’s visit to North Korea and meeting with Kim Jong-il led to reunion programs for separated families, and talk of reunification.

Hyon Chol-hae

He has been described as being in "close proximity" to Kim Jong-il, and as reporting directly to him.

Lyudmila Zykina

It is known she was a particular favourite of both Kim Il-song and his son Kim Jong-il, performing in Pyongyang six times at the invitation of the Kims.

North Korean literature

"Guidelines for Juche Literature" published by the official Choson Writers' Alliance 조선 작가 동맹 emphasised that literature must extoll the country's leader, Kim Il-sung, and, later, Kim Jong-il.

Posthumous promotion

His son Kim Jong-il was similarly promoted after his own death in 2011.

Potato production in North Korea

The "potato revolution" was initiated in 1999 by Kim Jong-il; potatoes were viewed as a crop of high importance.

Pyongui Line

Deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il used to travel on the Pyongui Line for visits to China, as he did not fly.

Ri Myung-Hun

On December 28, 2011, North Korean television showed footage from the funeral of Kim Jong-il in which an unusually tall person was seen in the crowd.

Samjiyon Airport

Tour groups fly to the airport for scheduled journeys to this significant landmark and to see the birthplace of Kim Jong-il.

Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army

On 24 December 1991, Kim Jong-il was elected KPA Supreme Commander during the 19th plenary meeting of the 6th KWP Central Committee.

Ten thousand years

In North Korea, manse was used to wish long life for Kim Jong-il, and for the political principles of his father, Kim Il-sung.

The Return of Avery Jessup

Both Elizabeth Banks and Margaret Cho received nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for their performances in this episode as Avery Jessup and Kim Jong-il respectively.

The Wedding Bride

According to Robin, former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il ranked The Wedding Bride as his second favorite movie.

Unit 124

At the time of the identification by Kim Shin-Jo, Park was believed to be an aide to Kim Jong-il and vice minister of the North Korean People's Armed Forces.


Fake passport

In May 2001 Kim Jong-nam (the eldest son of the former leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il) was arrested on arrival at New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport), accompanied by two women and a four-year old boy identified as his son.

Flag of North Korea

There is also a flag of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea, modeled after similar communist party flags, and a flag for the Supreme Commander of the KPA used by Kim Jong-un, which has the Supreme Commander's Arms on a red field.

Free trade agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea

However, Kim Jong-Hoon, South Korea's chief negotiator for the 10-month talks that brought the FTA, denied such rumors assuring journalists that "The deal has been done and that's it. There will be no renegotiations."

Gag order

--sources report 9 to 20 members variously --> of the North Korean Unhasu Orchestra had been executed for making pornography, and that the execution was designed to cover up the involvement of Ri Sol-ju, a former member of the orchestra and now the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Ha Wiji

Ha withdrew from government service in 1453 after the murder of Kim Jong-seo by Prince Suyang (later King Sejo).

Jung-eun

Kim Jong-un (born 1983 or 1984), supreme leader of North Korea since 2011

Kim Jong-chul

Kim Jong-chul was reportedly spotted in Singapore on 14 February 2011, where he was attending an Eric Clapton concert.

Kim Jong-gak

Kim Jong-gak's supposed part in ensuring the succession was enhanced in May 2010, when he presided over a military ceremony unveiling bronze statues of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-suk.

General Kim Jong-gak was seen as one of the next generations of KPA leaders, along with Chief of General Staff Ri Yong-ho, as well as a key asset to Kim Jong-un's rise to power.

Kim Jong-gil

Kim’s work successfully incorporated ideas heralded from Imagism, a modern poetic tradition espoused by poets such as Amy Lowell, HD, and Ezra Pound, and the traditional style of hansi and the spirit of Seonbi.

Kim Jong-Ho

He went 1-for-5 during the series, hitting a single off future MLB relief pitcher Daniel Moskos in Game 3.

Kim Jong-min

He was also on the first season of KBS2's Invincible Youth for a short time in the role of a mentor after the show had recently undergone a cast change.

Kim Jong-nam

Because Kim Jong-il aimed to keep his affair with Song a secret due to the disapproval of his father Kim Il-sung, he initially kept Jong-nam out of school, instead sending him to live with Song's older sister Song Hye-rang, who tutored him at home.

Kim Jong-seo

After Boohwal, Kim Jong-Seo was part of several rock bands, among others: Sinawe, Charisma (카리스마), and Little Sky (작은 하늘).

Kim Jong-suk

This led to the construction of a 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, which is still not opened and is nicknamed 'hotel of doom'

Kim Jong-wook

He has a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Konkuk University and graduated from the Kyung Hee University Graduate School of Communication.

Kim Yong-chun

In December 2011, after the leader's death, he was ranked 5th among members of the Kim Jong-il funeral committee, immediately after Kim Jong-un and the Politburo Presidium members (Kim Yong-nam, Choe Yong-rim and Ri Yong-ho), signalling his powerful position in the new leadership.

KJU

Kim Jong-un (born 1983 or 1984), supreme leader of North Korea since 30 December 2011

Korean diaspora

Koreans born or settled overseas have been migrating back to both North and South Korea ever since the restoration of Korean independence; perhaps the most famous example is Kim Jong-Il, born in Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, where his father Kim Il-sung had been serving in the Red Army.

Korean language

Possibly to avoid referring to Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il or Kim Jong-un as the enemy, the second syllable of "enemy" is written and pronounced 쑤 in the North.

Koreans in Japan

They teach a strong pro-North Korean ideology and allegiance to Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-un.

KPS 9566

and two groups of three special-purpose characters which spell out the names of the North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung (김일성) and Kim Jong-il (김정일) respectively, in a special decorative font (code points 04-72 to 04-74 and 04-75 to 04-77, respectively).

North Korean leaders' trains

Since the creation of the state, the first two North Korean leaders—Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il—were known to use high-security private trains as their preferred method of domestic and international travel.

Park Chung-hee

The KCIA would extend its power to economic and foreign affairs under its first director, retired Colonel Kim Jong-pil; a relative of Park and one of the original planners of the coup.

Rungnado May Day Stadium

It was also the venue in which Kim Jong-Il in 2000 entertained Madeleine Albright, the U.S. Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton.

Song Hye-rim

In 1971, she gave birth to Kim Jong-nam, who at one time was believed to be favored to succeed Kim Jong-il.

South Korean presidential election, 1992

On 22 January 1990, two opposition leaders Kim Young-Sam and Kim Jong-Pil led their parties merged into the ruling party Democratic Justice Party, formed as Democratic Liberal Party, led by President Roh Tae-woo.

Wonsan Airport

In July 2013, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un approved plans for a complete redesign of the airport, turning it into an international airport for civilian use.

Workers World Party

In more recent years the Workers World Party has been controversial for its support of many things that other communist parties of similar political roots very strongly oppose: These include the regimes of Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, and Kim Jong-il; also, the WWP supported the Chinese crackdown on the “counter-revolutionary rebellion” in Tiananmen Square.

Workers' Party of Korea

Choe Ryong Hae was elected member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee; Kim Jong-gak, Jang Song-thaek, Pak To-chun, Hyon Chol-hae, Kim Won-hong, and Ri Myong-su members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee; Kwak Pom-gi, O Kuk-ryol, Ro Tu-chol, Ri Pyong-sam, and Jo Yon-jun alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee to fill vacancies.

Yang Hyong-sop

He was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly in 1983, after having been a vice-chairman since 1962; in this capacity, he assumed the functions of de facto head of State after Kim Il-sung's death in 1994, as the post of President of the DPRK was never re-assigned; he was however under the actual leadership of the new leader Kim Jong-il.

Yeongeuijeong

This was because when the King Sejo was still a prince, his actions were greatly restricted by his political rivals, Yeonguijeong, Hwangbo In (皇甫仁) and Jwauijeong, Kim Jong-seo (金宗瑞).

Yonhap

In January 2009, two reporters from the N.K. news desk disclosed that Kim Jong-un had been chosen as heir apparent to North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il.