Kim Hyong-jik

Infobox Korean name
context=north
hangul=김형직
hanja=金亨稷
rr=Gim Hyeong-jik
mr=Kim Hyŏng-jik

Kim Hyŏng-jik (July 10 1894–June 5 1926) was the father of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung and the grandfather of the present leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il.

Not much is known about him. He was the son of Kim Bo-hyon, attended Sungshil school, which was run by American 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. [ [http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/kim-il-sung.html Kim Il Sung killer file ] at www.moreorless.au.com] Kim Il-sung, however claims that he and his parents were atheists and attended mass for other reasons, though many of their friends were Christians.

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 Japanese, who controlled Korea at the time, and in 1920, when Kim Il-sung was eight, they fled to Manchuria for safety.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/champion/65/pers_cult.htm Personality Cult in North Korea]
* [http://www.pitt.edu/~ctnst3/ronbun.html The Kim Jong Il succession problem (talks about his ancestry)]
* [http://www.korea-dpr.com/users/switzerland/coree_kim_famille/famille.htm Kim's family]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/sherman.htm USS General Sherman Incident]