Kim Hyong-jik
Encyclopedia
Kim Hyŏng-jik was Korea
n independence activist and Communist politician. Hyŏng-jik was father of the late North Korea
n founder Kim Il-sung
and the grandfather of the present leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il
.
missionaries, and became a teacher and later an herbal pharmacist
. He died as a result of numerous medical problems, including third-degree frostbite
.
Kim and his wife attended Christian
churches. It was reported that his son, Kim Il-sung attended church services during his teenage years before becoming an atheist
later in life.
Kim Il-sung spoke a lot of his father's idea of chiwŏn (righteous aspirations).
Kim and his family were active in opposition to the Japan
ese, who controlled Korea at the time, and in 1920, when Kim Il-sung was eight, they fled to Manchuria
for safety.
Kim Jong-Il's official government biography states that he was "the leader of the anti-Japanese national liberation movement and was a pioneer in shifting the direction from the nationalist movement to the communist movement in Korea." However this is widely disputed among foreign academics and independent sources, who claim that his opposition was little more than the general grievances with life under the Japanese occupation .
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n independence activist and Communist politician. Hyŏng-jik was father of the late North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n founder Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
and the grandfather of the present leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
.
Biography
Little is known about Kim. He was the son of Kim Bo-hyon (金輔鉉), attended Sungshil school, which was run by AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
missionaries, and became a teacher and later an herbal pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
. He died as a result of numerous medical problems, including third-degree frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
.
Kim and his wife attended Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches. It was reported that his son, Kim Il-sung attended church services during his teenage years before becoming an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
later in life.
Kim Il-sung spoke a lot of his father's idea of chiwŏn (righteous aspirations).
Kim and his family were active in opposition to the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, who controlled Korea at the time, and in 1920, when Kim Il-sung was eight, they fled to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
for safety.
Kim Jong-Il's official government biography states that he was "the leader of the anti-Japanese national liberation movement and was a pioneer in shifting the direction from the nationalist movement to the communist movement in Korea." However this is widely disputed among foreign academics and independent sources, who claim that his opposition was little more than the general grievances with life under the Japanese occupation .