Kim Il-sung (Chosŏn'gŭl: 김일성; English pronunciation: /ˈkɪm ˈɪlˈsʊŋ, ˈsʌŋ/;Korean pronunciation: [kim ils͈ʌŋ]; born Kim Sŏng-ju (김성주); 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly referred to as North Korea, for 46 years, from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994. He was also the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea from 1949 to 1994 (titled as chairman from 1949 to 1966 and as general secretary after 1966). Coming to power after the overthrow of Japanese rule in 1945, he authorized the invasion of South Korea in 1950, triggering a defense of South Korea by the United Nations led by the United States. A cease-fire in the Korean War was signed on 27 July 1953.

Under his leadership, North Korea became a socialist state and had close political and economic relations with the Soviet Union which gave the country many similarities in those respects. By the 1960s and 1970s, North Korea enjoyed a relatively high standard of living, outperforming the South which was crippled by political instability and economic crises. Differences between North Korea and the Soviet Union made the country non-aligned in world politics, central among these differences being Kim Il-sung's philosophy of Juche which focused on Korean patriotism and self-reliance. Juche eventually replaced Marxism-Leninism and communism altogether.

Kim Il is the name of:

See also

Kim Il (born July 25, 1971) is a North Korean wrestler who won Olympic gold medals in men's freestyle wrestling, light flyweight (–48 kg), in 1992 and 1996. He won silver at the 1991 World Championships. In 2006, he was inducted into the Federation Internationale de Luttes Associees Hall of Fame.

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Kim Il (born 27 February 1962) is a South Korean modern pentathlete. He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

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Kim Il-sung Square is a large city square in the Central District of Pyongyang, North Korea, and is named after the country's founding leader, Kim Il-sung. The square was constructed in 1954 according to a master plan for reconstructing the capital after the destruction of the Korean War. It was opened in August 1954. The square is located on the foot of the Namsan Hill, west bank of the Taedong River, directly opposite the Juche Tower on the other side of the river. It is the 37th largest square in the world, having an area of about 75,000 square meters (807,293 square feet) which can accommodate a rally of more than 100,000 people. The square has a great cultural significance, as it is a common gathering place for rallies, dances and military parades and is often featured in media concerning the DPRK.

Overview

The Kim Il-sung Square is located at the center of Pyongyang on the west bank of the Taedong River. It is similar in form and design to the Tiananmen Square in Beijing and is used for the same purposes. Since the completion of the square, multiple parades have been held to commemorate many different events and also to show the world the military capabilities of the DPRK. The Kim Il-sung Square is architecturally more refined with its dramatic riverside setting. If one stands in the square, the Tower of the Juche Idea on the opposite bank appears to sit at the other end of the square, although it is actually across the river, similar to the Workers Party Monument and the Mansudae Grand Monument. The optical effect is achieved since the square is a few meters lower in the middle than near the waterside. Surrounding the square are a number of government buildings, with the Great People's Study House sitting at the "head" of the square.