d'Vinci
Kim Pyeong-il
Kim Pyeong-il is half-brother to Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Il.
KIM PYEONG-IL (1954- ). Kim Pyeong-il is half-brother to Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Il. He was born on 10 August 1954, the eldest of two sons and the second child from Kim Il Sung's relationship with his secretary Kim Seong-ae. His younger brother, Kim Yong II, died in 2000. Kim Pyeong-il graduated from Kim Il Sung
University, where he majored in economics, and then attended the Kim Il Sung Military University. On graduation, he served with the DPRK armed forces, becoming a battalion commander. There are reports that during the 1970s, his mother attempted to have him nominated as his father's successor, but such attempts were forestalled by the rise of Kim Jong Il. On the eve of the public announcement of Kim Jong Il as successor, both Kim Pyeong-il and Kim Yeong-il took up diplomatic appointments, which gave them status but kept them out of the country. Kim Pyeong-il went first to Yugoslavia, and then became ambassador to Hungary in 1988. Following the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the Republic of Korea (ROK) the following year, Kim Pyeong-il moved to Finland. In 1998, he became ambassador to Poland, where he has remained ever since; his children have been educated there. Neither Kim Pyeong-il nor his brother and sister were named as members of the funeral committee for their father on the latter's death in 1994. The ROK newspaper Chosun llbo reported that he had returned to the DPRK in July 2011 to visit his sick mother and had been arrested, but other reports indicated that he was still ambassador to Poland. He did not attend the
funeral of Kim Jong Il in December 2011.
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. (Historical Dictionary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, by James E. Hoare, published by RLPG Books, appears by permission of the author and publisher).
University, where he majored in economics, and then attended the Kim Il Sung Military University. On graduation, he served with the DPRK armed forces, becoming a battalion commander. There are reports that during the 1970s, his mother attempted to have him nominated as his father's successor, but such attempts were forestalled by the rise of Kim Jong Il. On the eve of the public announcement of Kim Jong Il as successor, both Kim Pyeong-il and Kim Yeong-il took up diplomatic appointments, which gave them status but kept them out of the country. Kim Pyeong-il went first to Yugoslavia, and then became ambassador to Hungary in 1988. Following the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the Republic of Korea (ROK) the following year, Kim Pyeong-il moved to Finland. In 1998, he became ambassador to Poland, where he has remained ever since; his children have been educated there. Neither Kim Pyeong-il nor his brother and sister were named as members of the funeral committee for their father on the latter's death in 1994. The ROK newspaper Chosun llbo reported that he had returned to the DPRK in July 2011 to visit his sick mother and had been arrested, but other reports indicated that he was still ambassador to Poland. He did not attend the
funeral of Kim Jong Il in December 2011.
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. (Historical Dictionary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, by James E. Hoare, published by RLPG Books, appears by permission of the author and publisher).
