The key players in North Korea's Kim dynasty
Updated
North Korea's Kim dynasty is long and at times, bloody.
We've been given proof of that with the reported assassination of the half-brother of current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Here's a breakdown of who's who in North Korea's ruling family.
Let's go back to where this started: Kim Il-sung
He's the founder of North Korea, remains the Eternal President of the state and is the grandfather at the top of the Kim dynasty family tree.
His first wife was Kim Jong-suk. Together they had three children:
- Kim Jong-il
- Kim Man-il
- Kim Kyong-hui (She later married Jang Sung-thaek. This is important for later.)
His second wife was Kim Song-ae and they had three children as well.
Kim Il-sung's reign ended on July 8, 1994 when he died from a heart attack.
That's when Kim Jong-il took over as Supreme Leader
His father chose him as successor, in part because he was the most ruthless among his siblings and considered a master of propaganda.
He came to power just as the Cold War ended and North Korea lost the economic support of the Soviet Union.
It led to a crippling famine throughout the 1990s. A 2004 Human Rights Watch report found he led one of the "world's most repressive governments", with up to 200,000 political prisoners.
Throughout his reign Kim Jong-il was suspected of kidnapping Japanese people to raise cash, dealing drugs through North Korean embassies and turning the country into a major producer of counterfeit currency.
Crucially, in 2003 he announced North Korea would quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
With his first mistress, Song Hye-rim, he only had one child — Kim Jong-nam, who was reportedly assassinated this week.
With his first wife Kim Young-sook he had only one child as well, a daughter named Kim Sul-song.
He had three children with his second mistress, Ko Yong-hui:
- Kim Jong-chol
- Kim Jong-un
- Kim Yo-jong
Kim Jong-il died in 2011, aged 69, from a reported heart attack.
Which brings us to current leader Kim Jong-un
Despite being the third son of Kim Jong-il, he was always the choice to take over ruling the Kim dynasty.
Before his assassination, Kim Jong-nam was ruled out after trying to sneak into Japan on a fake passport to go to Tokyo Disneyland.
Kim Jong-chol reportedly had no interest in politics, which left Kim Jong-un.
In his five years in power, Kim Jong-un has carved a bloody path through his administration and purged members of his own family.
He has executed over 300 people since coming to power, according to CNN. Among them was his uncle Jang Sung-thaek, who was considered to be the second most powerful man in the country.
Kim Jong-un had his body burned with flamethrowers, according to the New York Times.
North Korea's top education official was executed by firing squad and its former Defence Minister was killed by an anti-aircraft cannon in front of an audience, the reports said.
Experts strongly suspect Kim Jong-nam will join the list of people executed at the hands of Kim Jong-un.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, international-law, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of
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