Kim Il Sung was the first premier, and later president, of North Korea. Following his service in the Korean War, Kim was backed by the Soviet Union to lead the newly created North Korea. During his time as ruler of the country, North Korea experienced widespread famine, partly as a consequence of Kim’s repressive policies and refusal to interact with other countries. Kim’s son, Kim Jong Il, succeeded him as leader of the country in 1997. Kim is still an official leader—or “Eternal President”—of North Korea, despite the fact that he’s been dead for more than twenty years.
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Kim Il Sung Character Timeline in Escape from Camp 14
The timeline below shows where the character Kim Il Sung appears in Escape from Camp 14. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: School Days
...and undecorated—they don’t even have the usual portraits of Kim Jong Il and his father, Kim Il Sung (who, despite having died years ago, is still an official ruler of North Korea). In...
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Chapter 3: The Upper Crust
...see Shin and his classmates as “irredeemable sinners” who’ve betrayed their country. Beginning in 1957, Kim Il Sung created the modern North Korean class system: the highest group, the “core class,” consisted of...
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Chapter 17: Riding North
...It is during this time that Shin first sees pictures of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung .
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