Kim Pyong-il
| Kim Pyong-il | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 김평일 |
| Hancha | 金平一 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim P'yŏng'il |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Pyeong-il |
Kim Pyong-il (Korean: 김평일, Hanja: 金平一) (born 10 August 1954) is the younger paternal half-brother of the former leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, and the son of former leader Kim Il-sung.[1]
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[edit] Family background and early life
Kim was born to Kim Il-sung and Kim Song-ae, Kim Il-sung's former secretary. Kim had one younger brother, Yong-il (not to be confused with Kim Yong-il, Premier of the DPRK Cabinet from April 2007 to June 2010), and one younger half-sister, Kyung-hee (who would go on to marry senior official Chang Sung-taek).[2] He was named after another son with the same name, who was born in Vyatskoye in 1944; that son, also known as Shura Kim, allegedly drowned in Pyongyang in 1947.[3] He graduated from Kim Il-sung University with a major in economics, and later attended the Kim Il-sung National War College, following which he was appointed a battalion commander.[1]
[edit] Diplomatic career
In 1979, Kim began a series of diplomatic postings to several countries in Europe so that he could not influence politics in his home country. His first overseas assignment was in the Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia.[1] He was promoted to the position of ambassador to People's Republic of Hungary in 1988, but was transferred to People's Republic of Bulgaria in response to Hungary's opening of diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1989. This was followed by a posting in Finland.[4][5] In 1998, after North Korea closed its embassy in Finland to save money and prevent defections, he was posted to Poland. His ambassadorship was initially suggested to be in limbo, as nine months after his posting he had yet to formally present his credentials to the Polish president.[6] However, he remained as ambassador in Poland, and his daughter Kim Eun-song and son Kim In-kang went on to attend university there.[1]
In July 2011, Kim was reported by South Korean media to be back in Pyongyang for a visit. Some sources claimed he was under house arrest there since May, though others speculate he is just visiting his dying mother Kim Song-ae or preparing to observe the anniversary of his father's death.[7]
In December 2011, South Korean officials said Kim Pyong-il was in Poland and would not attend Kim Jong-il's funeral. Kim Pyong-il and Kim Song-ae attended the funeral of Kim Il-sung in 1994, but North Korean television broadcasts deleted their images.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Kim, Song-A (2007-05-09). "Photos of Kim Jong Il’s Brother, Kim Pyong Il and Recent Visits". Daily NK. http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=2040. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- ^ "Photos Surface of Kim Jong-il's Relatives in Europe". The Chosun Ilbo. 2007-05-10. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20071016154231/http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200705/200705100024.html. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ Lintner, Bertil (2003-07-10). "North Korea: Myth Making Dynastic Lies And Secrets". Far Eastern Economic Review. http://www.asiapacificms.com/articles/north_korea_myths/. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- ^ Sano, Yoel (2004-02-14). "Happy Birthday, Dear Leader - who's next in line?". Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FB14Dg04.html. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- ^ Sterngold, James (1990-06-02). "Evolution in Europe; Stunned North Korea Warns Soviets on Meeting With Seoul Leader". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEEDC1E3BF931A35755C0A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ^ "Kim Jon Il's (sic) half brother's ambassadorship in limbo". Kyōdō News. 1998-10-19. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDQ/is_1998_Oct_19/ai_53425530. Retrieved 2007-10-25.[dead link]
- ^ "Kim Jong-il's Brother 'Under House Arrest in Pyongyang'", Chosun Ilbo, 2011-07-03, http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/07/01/2011070100412.html, retrieved 2011-07-03
- ^ Kim Jong-il's half-brother appears to remain in Poland: official
[edit] External links
- Korean Monarch Kim Jong Il: Technocrat Ruler of the Hermit Kingdom Facing the Challenge of Modernity, by Alexandre Y. Mansourov, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
- The Kim Jong Il Succession Problem in the Context of the North Korean Political Structure, translated by Titus North, University of Pittsburgh
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