Kim Il-sung died of a sudden heart attack on the early morning of 8 July 1994 at age 82. North Korea's government did not report the death for more than 34 hours after it occurred. An official mourning period was declared from 8–17 July, during which the

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...

was flown at half mast throughout the country, and all forms of amusement and dancing were prohibited.

Radio Pyongyang Voice of Korea () is the international broadcasting service of North Korea. It broadcasts primarily information in Chinese, Spanish, German, English, French, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. Until 2002 it was known as Radio Pyongyang. The interval ...

reported that Kim had died from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

. In the years prior to his death, he had been receiving treatment for diabetes as well as the hardening of arteries in his heart. His son

Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

was announced as North Korea's next leader with the title of "The Great Successor ( ko, 위대한 계승자)" that same day marked the start of North Korea becoming the world's first communist dynasty. Seventeen years later, he died on 17 December 2011 of the same cause of death as his father and Jong-il's demise was announced two days later.

Background

On the late morning just before 12:00 noon of 7 July 1994, Kim Il-sung collapsed at his residence in Hyangsan from a sudden heart attack. After the heart attack, his son

ordered the team of doctors who were constantly at his father's side to leave, and arranged for the country's best doctors to be flown in from Pyongyang. After several hours, the doctors from Pyongyang arrived, but despite their efforts to save him, Kim Il-sung died at around 2:00 am local time on 8 July 1994. His death was declared 34 hours later, respecting the traditional Confucian mourning period. The announcement of the death of the supreme leader was made live over Korean Central Television at noon by the channel's news presenter Chon Hyong-kyu on 9 July 1994. Kim Il-sung's death resulted in nationwide mourning and a ten-day mourning period was declared by Kim Jong-il. His funeral in Pyongyang was attended by hundreds of thousands of people from all over North Korea. Kim Il-sung's body was placed in a public

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where his preserved and embalmed body lies under a glass coffin for viewing purposes. His head rests on a Korean-style pillow and he is covered by the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea. Newsreel video of the funeral at Pyongyang was broadcast on several networks, and now can be found on various websites. A further mourning period lasted until the third anniversary of his death in 1997.

Reactions

Korean Peninsula

*North Korea – On 9 July, Korean Central News Agency said that North Koreans "firmly resolve to remain loyal to the guidance of the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il". The agency described the so-called Dear Leader as "the reliable heir of Great Leader Kim Il-sung's revolutionary accomplishments". In another broadcast, Kim was described as the "inheritor of North Korea's revolution and the chief of revolutionary forces". On 11 July

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese public television NHK said that North Korea's government completely blocked people and vehicles from passing through Tumen City, situated at the foot of the Tumen River, on the China–North Korea border, where border trade is actively taking place.

International reactions

*Russia – President Boris Yeltsin did not send condolences due to the two nations' strained relations at that period, instead delegating the duty to the then- Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. *United States – President Bill Clinton expressed his hope that

the talks ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

"will continue as appropriate". Clinton said: "I extend sincere condolences to the people of North Korea on the death of President Kim Il-sung. We appreciate his leadership in resuming the talks between our governments."

Funeral service

Kim Jong-il was chairman of the funeral committee. The committee also included Defense Minister O Jin-u, and Vice President Kim Yong-ju, who was Kim Il-sung's younger brother. The funeral committee released

communique A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

regarding the funeral: The state funeral was scheduled to be held on 17 July but was delayed until 19 July. It included the observance of three minutes of silence throughout the country. Attendance to the funeral was two million people.

Funeral committee

The funeral committee was chaired by Kim Jong-il and had 273 members, including:Alt URL
*

* O Jin-u *

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References

External links

On the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the death of Kim Il-sung
at Naenara {{DEFAULTSORT:Death And funeral Of Kim Il-sung 1994 in North Korea Kim, Il-sung History of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Il-sung Kim, Il-sung Kim, Il-sung 20th century in Pyongyang July 1994 events in Asia