Yuri Irsenovich Kim was born on 16 February 1941, in Vyatskoye, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He was a politician, best known to have been the supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – or North Korea – from 1994 to 2011. All of his endeavors helped put his net worth to where it was prior to his passing.
How rich was Kim Jong-il? As of early-2017, sources estimate a net worth that was at $4 billion, mostly earned through being the supreme leader of North Korea. He was already the heir apparent in the 1980s, and succeeded his father Kim Il-Sung. He was also part of numerous organizations, and all of these involvements ensured the position of his wealth.
Kim Jong-II Net Worth $4 billion
While Soviet records say that Kim was born in 1941, his official biography states that he was born on 16 February 1942, in the Paektu Mountain during the time Japan occupied Korea. He was four years old when World War II ended and Korea regained its independence. At a young age, he was already involved in politics becoming a part of the Korean Children’s Union and the Democratic Youth League of North Korea (DYL). He later attended the University of Malta, where he would receive an English education.
In 1980, he gained senior posts in the Politburo Standing Committee, Military Commission, and the party Secretariat. This led him to become heir apparent, and he started to gain recognition, emerging as the most powerful figure behind his father. In 1991, Kim became the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army. Then North Korea started to suffer economic stagnation and the country cut off ties with China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea accused Kim of ordering the 1983 bombing in Rangoon which killed 17 South Korean officials. He then became the Chairman of the National Defence Commission.
In 1994, after Kim il-sung passed away from a heart attack, he became the ruler of North Korea, assuming his father’s old post as General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. With the economy experiencing more problems in the 1990s, Kim then decided a “Military-First” policy which has helped the country despite dependence on foreign aid for food. He also started the “Sunshine Policy” in 1998 to allow South Korean companies to make projects in the north. In 2004, Human Rights Watch reported that the North Korean government was among the world’s most repressive governments, including 200,000 political prisoners. In 2008, a rumor started spreading that Kim Jong-il had already died of diabetes in 2003 and was just being replaced by a stand-in now. A voiceprint analysis of Kim speaking noted that it did not match an earlier recording, and he was also reported to avoid public appearances due to waning health problems, with North Korea confirming that he had suffered strokes. His power was waning, and in 2009 it was reported that his youngest son Kim Jong-un would be the next leader of North Korea.
In 2010 to 2011 Kim undertook several foreign visits, and it was reported that his health was improving. However in December 2011, a report surfaced that he had passed away of a suspected heart attack while travelling on the train.
For his personal life, a lot of information about Kim Jong-il isn’t official, but it is believed he married twice and also had three mistresses; he had five known children. He married his first wife Hong Il-chon in 1968 but they divorced a year later. His next official wife was Kim Young-sook. His mistresses were reported as actresses Song Hye-rim, Ko Yong-hui, and Kim Ok.
