By: Melissa, Nicole, Hager

1912 - 1994

From 1910 to the end of WWII, Korea was a Japanese colony.

When the Japanese surrendered in WWII in 1945, Korea was divided into North and South Korea.

North Korea invaded the South in 1950, spurring the Korean War, which was fought until 1953, when an armistice was signed.

Before the Korean War, the North Korean economy was comprised mainly of agriculture, though some heavy industry was found.

End of WWII, appointed head of Provisional

People’s Committee.

Korean Workers’

Party formed

North Korea declares

independence

“Juche” President Kim Il Sung!

Korean War begins

Kore

an W

ar

ends

with

sig

n

arm

isticeLarge

scale purges and work camps

Isolation of North Korea

Economy

Droughts Rising Debts Mismanageme

nt of the economy

Scared to be sent to work camps People were sentenced to life for “crimes” such as:

Reading foreign newspapers Singing South Korean pop songs Disobeying Sung’s authority Mocking the government

Those who disobeyed Sung were sent to work camps

Life sentences for “crimes”

Approximately between 150,000 to 200,000 political and criminal prisoners held in camps

Stories that told what happened in work camps started to surface

Foreign interactions was prohibited as people would go to jail just for:Reading foreign newspapersListening to foreign broadcasts and radios

The government controlled what got out to the people

Limited international relationshipsChinaSoviet UnionVietnam

Approximately three million killed during the Korean War

Between 600,000 to one million citizens starved to death

In July 1994, Kim Il Sung died of a sudden heart attack at the age of eighty-two, and his son and successor, Kim Jong-Il, announced a ten-day mourning period.

Since his death, Yeong Saeng – “eternal life” – monuments have been put up throughout the country, each dedicated to Kim Il Sung (The “Eternal Leader”).

Remembered in three ways: the grandfather, the Stalin-like ruler, and the man who defeated both Japan and the U.S.

In homes across North Korea, his picture and posters are hung up

A university in Pyongyang is named after him

Kim Jong-Il was Kim Il Sung’s eldest son and successor and was named secretary of the Communist Party in 1997 and consolidated his power with the title of National Defense Commission chairman in 1998.

He held a meeting with Kim Dae-Jung, South Korea’s leader, in 2000. It was the first time the leaders of the North and South had met since the split of Korea in 1948.

In 2010, tensions increased as South Korea accused the North of sinking one of its warships with a torpedo.

Technologically and economically, they are quite far behind South Korea and rely much on heavy industry as an export.

Oh, Bonnie Bongwan Cho, and John K. C. Oh. "North Korea." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Web.  10 Nov. 2010.

Eckert, Carter J. "Kim Jong-il." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Web.  15 Nov. 2010

Martin, C. “Korea (1955)” World Book Student. World Book, 10 Nov. 2010

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il Killer file. More or less 20th century killers and heroes. October 16, 2003. Web. Nov. 15.2010

Global Security, Military. Kim Il Sung

Web. 15 Nov. 2010.