Kim, Yeong-ju

KIM YEONG-JU (1920-). Younger brother of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Il Sung and for many years seen as the likely successor. Like Kim Il Sung, he spent much of his early years in Manchuria but does not seem to have been involved in the struggle against the Japanese. He studied at Moscow University. In 1954, he joined the Organization and Guidance Department of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) Central Committee, becoming its director in 1960. The following year, he became a member of the Central Committee and was elected to the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the DPRK parliament, in 1962. During the 1960s, he continued to progress through various party and government positions and was generally seen as the probable successor to his brother. But, after becoming deputy premier in 1974, he vanished from view in 1975 and did not reappear until 1993. His disappearance was linked to the rise of Kim Jong Il, who was publicly identified as his father's successor in 1980. Kim Yeong-ju was perhaps easily pushed aside since he lacked any real power base, apart from his brother, and was also apparently not in good health. When he reappeared, he was listed as a member of the KWP Central Committee Politburo. In 1994, he was a member of the Kim Il Sung funeral committee. He became an honorary vice president of the SPA Presidium in 1998 and was also elected a deputy. It is not clear if he is still alive. If he is, his advanced age means that he is clearly no threat and has now no political significance.

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