Kim Jong Il
1942 – 2011
Kim Jong Il was born on 16th
February 1942 during the Korean people’s struggle against
the Japanese occupation. His father was the Korean partisan leader Kim Il Sung
who led the Korean communist movement to victory against Japanese colonialism
and American imperialism to build the modern socialist republic that exists in
the north of the divided Korean peninsula.
Kim Jong Il grew up to be a great
revolutionary and wisely led the Workers Party of Korea (WPK), the army and
people for a long period, performing undying revolutionary feats on behalf of
the country, the people, the times and history.
In 1960, he began to study at the
politics and economics department of Kim
Il Sung University
and graduated four years later. Kim Jong Il started working for the Central
Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in 1964. In 1973, he was elected
secretary of the committee and in February the next year, member of the
Political Bureau of the Central Committee. Since October 1980, Kim Jong Il has
been member of the Presidium of the Politburo and secretary of the Central
Committee of the WPK and member of the Central Military Commission.
From 1982 to 1998, Kim was
elected deputy to every Supreme People's Assembly. From December 1992 to April
1993, he was successively Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, First
Vice-Chairman and later Chairman of the National Defence Commission.
On 8th
October 1997, Kim Jong Il was elected General Secretary of the WPK.
Kim Jong Il was given the honorary title "Hero of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea"
in 1975 and 1982. In April 1992, he was given the title of Marshal of the DPRK.
He has also received the Kim Il Sung Order three times and many other awards
and honours.
Democratic Korean leader Kim Jong
Il died following a heart attack on a train during a field inspection tour on
17th December. His passing was mourned by leaders of the people’s democracies,
the Third World and throughout the world communist movement while millions of
Koreans attended the 25 mile, three hour funeral procession in Pyongyang
on 28th December.
At the United Nations
Headquarters in New York the UN’s
blue and white flag flew at half mast last week to mourn the death of Kim Jong
Il and a minute’s silence was observed at the UN General Assembly in respect of
the Democratic Korean leader. The Cuban government decreed three days of
mourning during which all Cuban flags
were flown at half staff at public
buildings and military installations.
In Britain
NCP leader Andy Brooks, together with Michael Chant and Chris Coleman of the
RCPB (ML), went to the DPR Korea embassy in London
to sign the book of condolences and pay their last respects to the great Korean
communist leader.
messages of condolence
