Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

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 was flown at

half mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...

throughout the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

, and all forms of amusement and dancing were prohibited. Radio Pyongyang reported that Kim had died from a stroke. In the years prior to his death, he had been receiving treatment for

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

as well as the hardening of arteries in his

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...

. His son Kim Jong-il 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 Hyangsan County is a ''kun'', or county, in North P'yŏngan province, North Korea. It was established, following the division of Korea, from portions of Nyŏngbyŏn county. The area of Myohyangsan mountain, which stands on the county's border, ...

from a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. After the heart attack, his son Kim Jong-il 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 Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

mourning period. The announcement of the death of the supreme leader was made live over

Korean Central Television Korean Central Television (KCTV; ) is a television service operated by the Korean Central Broadcasting Committee, a state-owned broadcaster in North Korea. It is broadcast terrestrially via the Pyongyang TV Tower in Moranbong-guyok, Pyongy ...

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 at the

Kumsusan Memorial Palace The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (), formerly the Kumsusan Memorial Palace (), is a building near the northeast corner of the city of Pyongyang that serves as the mausoleum for Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 ...

, 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 The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946 and now features onli ...

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 Japanese public television

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

said that North Korea's government completely blocked people and vehicles from passing through Tumen City, situated at the foot of the

Tumen River The Tumen River, also known as the Tuman River or Duman River (), is a long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea and Russia, rising on the slopes of Mount Paektu and flowing into the Sea of Japan. The river ha ...

, on the

China–North Korea border The China–North Korea border is the international border separating the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). It runs for 1,352 km (840 mi) from the estuary of the Yalu River in th ...

, where border trade is actively taking place.

International reactions

*Russia –

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...

did not send condolences due to the two nations' strained relations at that period, instead delegating the duty to the then-

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Viktor Chernomyrdin Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (russian: Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин, ; 9 April 19383 November 2010) was a Soviet and Russian politician and businessman. He was the Minister of Gas Industry of the Soviet Unio ...

. *United States –

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

expressed his hope that the talks "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 O Jin-u (March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He served with Kim Il-sung's partisan unit and eventually rose through the ranks of the North Korean Army. He distinguished himself during the Korean War an ...

, and Vice President

Kim Yong-ju Kim Yong-ju (; 1920 – 14 December 2021) was a North Korean politician and the younger brother of Kim Il-sung, who ruled North Korea from 1948 to 1994. Under his brother's rule, Kim Yong-ju held key posts including Politburo member in the Work ...

, who was Kim Il-sung's younger brother. The funeral committee released communique 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
* Kim Jong-il *

Kang Song-san Kang Song-san (3 March 1931 – 22 February 1997) was a North Korean politician who served as Premier of North Korea from 1984 to 1986 and again from 1992 to 1997. He succeeded Ri Jong-ok in his first term and Yon Hyong-muk in his second term ...

Ri Jong-ok Ri Jong-ok (10 January 1916 – 23 September 1999) was a North Korean politician who served as the Premier of North Korea from 1977 to 1984. He was elected to the Presidium at the 6th WPK Congress in 1980. He was appointed as Vice President o ...

Pak Song-chol Pak Song-chol or Park Sung-chul (2 September 1913 – 28 October 2008) was a North Korean politician who served as Premier of North Korea from 1976 to 1977. He succeeded Kim Il. He also served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1970. Biogra ...

Kim Pyong-sik Kim Pyong-sik () (February 10, 1919 – July 21, 1999) was a North Korean politician who served as Vice President of North Korea and chairman of the Korean Social Democratic Party. History He was born in South Jeolla Province. Kim Pyong-sik work ...

Kim Yong-nam Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese ...

Choe Kwang Marshal Choe Kwang (; July 17, 1918 – February 21, 1997) was a prominent military leader in North Korea. Biography He graduated from the Soviet Military School and served as captain in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army until the end of the Jap ...

* Kye Ung-thae *

Jon Pyong-ho Jon Pyong-ho (, 20 March 1926 – 7 July 2014) was a North Korean officer and politician who served as the Chief Secretary of the Korean Workers Party (KWP) Committee of the North Korean Cabinet, and director of the DPRK Cabinet Political Burea ...

Han Song-ryong Han Song-ryong ( ko, 한성룡, 1923 - 2009)北前경제비서 ...

* So Yun-sok *

Kim Chang-man Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

* Choe Thae-bok *

Choe Yong-rim Choe Yong-rim (, born 20 November 1930) is a North Korean politician who served as the Premier of North Korea from June 2010 to April 2013 and was a member of the 6th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Hong Song-nam Hong Song-nam (2 October 1929 – 31 March 2009) was a North Korean politician who was the Premier of North Korea from 1998 to 2003. He succeeded Kang Song-san. Born in Kangwon Province, he graduated from the Kim Il-sung University and studied ...

Kang Hui-won Kang may refer to: Places * Kang Kalan, Punjab * Kang District, Afghanistan * Kang, Botswana, a village * Kang County, Gansu, China * Kang, Isfahan, Iran, a village * Kang, Kerman, Iran, a village * Kang, Razavi Khorasan, Iran, a village * Kha ...

Yang Hyong-sop Yang Hyong-sop (1 October 1925 – 13 May 2022) was a North Korean politician who served as Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1983 to 1998 (from 1994 it was form ...

Hong Sok-hyong Hong Sok-hyong ( ko, 홍석형) is a politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was secretary of the WPK Central Committee and Director of the WPK Planning and Finance Department. Biography Born in Seoul in 1936 during the Jap ...

Yon Hyong-muk Yon Hyong-muk, also spelt Yong Hyong-muk (November 3, 1931 – October 22, 2005), was a long-serving politician in North Korea and at the height of his career the most powerful person in that country outside the Kim family. He was Prime Ministe ...

* Ri Son-il * Kim Chol-su * Kim Ki-nam *

Kim Kuk-thae Kim Kuk-thae ( ko, 김국태; 27 August 1924 – 13 December 2013) was an elder apparatchik of the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party in North Korea. Kim was born in North Hamgyong Province as the eldest son of Kim Il-sung's trusted ge ...

Hwang Jang-yop Hwang Jang-yop ( ko, 황장엽; 17 February 192310 October 2010) was a North Korean politician who served as the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1972–1983 and was largely responsible for crafting ''Juche'', the state ideology o ...

* Kim Pok-sin * Kim Chang-ju * Kim Yun-hyok *

Jang Chol Jang Chol ( ko, 장철, context=north, born 1955) is a North Korean politician and scientist. He served as President of the State Academy of Sciences under the Cabinet of North Korea and a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of ...

Kong Jin-tae Kong may refer to: Places * Kong Empire (1710–1895), a former African state covering north-eastern Côte d'Ivoire and much of Burkina Faso * Kong, Iran, a city on the Persian Gulf * Kong, Shandong (), a town in Laoling, Shandong, China * Kong, I ...

Yun Ki-bok Yun may refer to: *Yǔn, Chinese name of Xionites, a nomadic tribe of Central Asia *Yun (Chinese name) (云/雲), a Chinese family name *Yun (ancient surname), an ancient Chinese surname *Yeon, or Yun, Korean (or Dutch given name) family name * Yu ...

* Pak Nam-gi *

Jon Mun-sop Jon Mun-sop (November 24, 1919 – December 29, 1998) was a North Korean politician, member of the Supreme People's Assembly, the unicameral parliament of North Korea. Biography Jon was born in Manchuria on November 24, 1919. He took part in the ...

* Yu Mi-yong * Hyon Jun-kuk * Won Tong-ku *

Ri Ha-il Ri Ha-il (1935 - ) was a general and politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army. Biography Born in Ryanggang Province in 1935 during the Japanese colonial period, he graduated from ...

Kim Ik-hyon Kim Ik-hyon ( ko, 김익현/金益鉉, 1921 - 15 January 2009) was a North Korean politician and military officer. He was member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. He was elected to the 11th convocation of the Supreme Pe ...

* Ri Chang-son *

O Kuk-ryol O Kuk-ryol (, born 7 January 1930) is a North Korean military general who served as Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, as head of the Operations Department from April 2009 to June 2016. The son of O Jung-song and n ...

Kwon Hui-kyong Gwon also written as Kwon () is a Korean family name. Some sources list as many 56 clans, but most of them were merged with the Andong Gwon clan under the Sijeung-gong faction soon after the establishment of the Goryeo Kingdom. Andong Gwon cl ...

Kang Sok-sung Kang may refer to: Places * Kang Kalan, Punjab * Kang District, Afghanistan * Kang, Botswana, a village * Kang County, Gansu, China * Kang, Isfahan, Iran, a village * Kang, Kerman, Iran, a village * Kang, Razavi Khorasan, Iran, a village * Kham ( ...

Choe Hui-jong Choe Hui-jong ( ko, 최희정) is a politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He is the Head of the Science Education Department of the Workers' Party of Korea and a member of the Central Committee of the Party. He was a delegate t ...

No Myong-kwon No (and variant writings) may refer to one of these articles: English language * Yes and no, ''Yes'' and ''no'' (responses) * A English determiners, determiner in noun phrases Alphanumeric symbols * No (kana), a letter/syllable in Japanese s ...

* Jong Ha-chol *

Kim Tu-nam Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

Paek Hak-rim Paek Hak-rim (October 1918 – October 5, 2006) was the Deputy Director of the North Korean Ministry of Public Security. He occupied a number of high-ranking positions, including serving from 1998 to 2003 on the National Defense Commission. He ...

* Chi Chang-ik * Ri Yong-u * Ri Chi-chang *

Choe Pok-hyon Choi is a Korean family surname. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were around 2.3 million people by this name in South Korea or roughly 4.7% of the population. In English-speaking countries, it is most often anglicized ''Choi'', an ...

* Kim Chang-o * Ri Sok-paek * Pak Yong-sop * Ri Chol-pong * Jong Jun-ki *

Hwang Sun-hui Hwang Sun-hui (; 3 May 1919 – 17 January 2020) was a North Korean politician who served in several high-ranking positions in the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), including in the Supreme People's Assembly and the Central Committee of the WPK. ...

Sin Sang-kyun In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

* Jong Ha-chol *

Kim Ki-ryong Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

* Kang Hyon-su * Pak Sung-kil *

Kim Hak-chol Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

* Paek Pom-su * Choe Mun-son * Im Hyong-ku *

Ri Kun-mo Ri Kun-mo, also translated as Ri Gun-mo (5 April 1926 – 2001) was a North Korean politician. He was Prime Minister from 29 December 1986 to 12 December 1988, when he was replaced, reportedly due to poor health. He succeeded Kang Song-san. His ...

* Hyon Chol-kyu * Ri Kil-song * Im Su-man *

Ri Ul-sol Ri Ul-sol (리을설; 14 September 19217 November 2015) was a North Korean politician and military official. He played an important role in the administrations of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, achieving the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's ...

* Kim Pong-ryul * Kim Kwang-sin *

Kim Jong-gak Kim Jong-gak (; born 20 July 1941)
, KCNA, 29 September 2010. is a

* O Ryong-pang * Kim Myong-kuk * O Yun-hwi * Kim Pyok-sik * Jang Song-u * Jon Jin-su * Chu Sang-jong *

Kim Yong-chul Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

* Cho Myong-rok *

Kim Il-chol Kim Il-chol (, born 1933) is a former member of the North Korean National Defence Commission and former Minister for Defence. He was born in Pyongyang in 1933. He graduated from Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and the "Soviet Union Naval Aca ...

* Paek Chang-sik *

Kim Yong-hun Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

Kang Tong-yun Kang Tong-yun is a North Korean politician. He is a Colonel General of the Korean People’s Army and a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Career In March 1988, Kang was elected an alternate member of the WPK ...

* Pak Chi-su * Han In-chol *

Kim Ha-kyu Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

* Nam Sang-nak *

Hyon Chol-hae Hyon Chol-hae ( ko, 현철해/玄哲海;August 13, 1934 – May 19, 2022) was a North Korean military officer. He was born in Country Yanji,Province Jilin,Manchukuo. During the Korean War, Hyon served as Kim Il-sung's bodyguard, a role which ...

* Ri Pong-won *

Kim Pyong-yul Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese ...

* Chu Song-il * Choe Yong-hae *

Choe Song-suk Choi is a Korean family surname. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were around 2.3 million people by this name in South Korea or roughly 4.7% of the population. In English-speaking countries, it is most often anglicized ''Choi'', an ...

* Kim Song-ae * Paek In-jun * Ri Mong-ho * Mun Song-sul * Yom Ki-sun * Ri Yong-chol *

Jang Song-paek Jang may refer to: *Jang (Marshall Islands), part of Maloelap Atoll, in the Marshall Islands *Jang, Nepal, a village development committee in the Rapti Zone of western Nepal * Jang, the Tibetan name for Naxi, a county-level district of Luzhou cit ...

* Kim Si-hak

References

External links

On the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the death of Kim Il-sung
at

Naenara Naenara () is the official web portal of the North Korean government. It was the first website in North Korea, and was created in 1996. The portal's categories include politics, tourism, music, foreign trade, arts, press, information technology ...

{{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