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Birth
According to Soviet records Kim Jong Il was born near Khabarovsk, Russia in 1941. However, Kim's biography says that he was born in a secret military camp in Japanese Korea in 1942. Official Korean biographers claim that his birth was foretold by a swallow and marked by a double rainbow and the changing of winter to spring.(3,6) -
Period: to
Kim Jong Il
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Kim starts his political career
Kim Jong Il started working in th cultural and propaganda departments of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea. -
Secretary of Organization and Progaganda
Kim was in charge of a very secretive oraganization code name "Party Center"(11) -
Kim Il Sung's death
On July 8th Kim Jong Il's father, Kim Il-sung died of a heart attack at the age of 82.(3) -
Military First Policy
After years of famine, Kim Jong Il adapted a military first policy to strengthen the country.(11) -
Kim takes power
On October 8th, 1997, Kim Jong Il officially took the titles General Secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea, and Chairman of the National Defense Commission. -
Suffers Stroke
According to South Korean intelligence, Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke.(11)