Kim Jong –iL What Can Happen When a #2 is Elevated to #1

K                                            Kim Jong -iL

Kim Jong –il has been the dictatorial leader of North Korea

since 1994 after the death of his father Kim Il –sung.  His

relationship with the West has been strained at best. His 

country’s economy is in shambles and he has been putting 

his resources into nuclear weapon research and seems to

defy all attempts to get him to fall into line. Could his birth 

order have something to do with his personality?

Korean Names And Culture

Before we look at Kim Jong –il it might be best to take a

brief look at the system used for Korean names. A Korean 

name consists of a family name followed by a given name. 

There are only 250 Korean family names currently in use. 

The most common are Kim, Lee, and Park. There is also a

generational name syllable shared by all siblings and all 

members of the same generation.  Married men and women 

usually keep their full personal names, and children inherit 

the father’s family name. A name can also denote their clan 

and city of origin.

Korean Names And Gender

Korean history has a strong foundation of Confucian 

Principles acquired during the Choson Dynasty, 1392.

The family structure is patriarchal with the male being superior.

Women are not seen as ambitious and have no aspirations. 

They are referred to as ansalam or “inside person” strictly 

restricted to domesticity. It is common for the wife to keep 

her family name after marriage but the children must take their 

father’s name.

Kim Elevated to #1 Birth Order

Kim Jong –il was elevated to the number one birth order

moving above his older sister by virtue of his gender.  

The Korean culture puts the emphasis on males so with little 

effort he moved up to number one.  When this happens many

of the second born traits are still in effect.  The feeling that he

doesn’t want to be told what to do is a second born trait. 

He had to learn to lead and give orders as an elevated first
born but it is not a natural instinct. His erratic behavior may 
just be the two birth orders working, this confuses his
observers in the West.

Early Years

Kim is the eldest son of his father Kim Il-sung.  His official

biography says he was born February 16, 1942 in a log cabin

on Korea’s Mount Paektu.  Others believe he was born in
Russia on February 16, 1941. His older sister is Kim Kyong
–jin date of birth unknown.  Kim Jong –il’s move up may
have been easy but he still instinctively showed the need to 
protect his position from all possible challenges.  His 
younger brother Kim Shura Man –il was two years younger
when both were in the family swimming pool.  It is said that
older brother Kim Jong –il age 6 held his four year old
brother under the water just to watch the bubbles come up. 
This drowning accident took place place in 1947.

Brothers Sisters and Mothers

Kim’s birth mother, Jhong-suk the mother of his older sister

and younger brother died in 1949. His half brother and half 
sister Kim Pyong –il and Kim Kyong Hui were born after 
1951 to his step mother Kim Song –ae.  There was intense
sibling rivalry between Kim Jong –il and his younger half 
brother who was at least nine years younger. The conflict
between them got so bad that when Kim Pyong –il got older
he was sent to a distant embassy to keep them apart.

                                                                    Mother

#1 Kin Kyong – jin         oldest sister           Jhong -suk

#2 Kim Jong –il          2-16-42  or 41           Jhong –suk

#3 Kim “Shura” Man –il   1943 or 44           Jhoug -suk

#4/1 Kim Pyong –il          1951  ½ brother   Kim Song –ae

#5/2  Kim Kyong Hui          ?     ½ sister      Kim Song –ae

Kim’s Children and Their Mothers

Kim has been married only once to Kim Young –suk with
whom he had a daughter, Kim Sul –song in 1974.  He has 
had a series of mistresses and children. The following list
should help in understanding his family.

                                                            Mother/Wife/Mistress

#1 Kim Jong Nam   1971   son            Song Hae-Rim mistress

#2 Kim Sul –Song  1974  daughter      Kim Young –Suk wife

          10yrs later

#3/1 Kim Jong –chul 1981  son         Ko Young –hee mistress

#4/2 Kim Jong –un    1983  son         Ko Young –hee mistress

         No Children                             Kim Ok   mistress

Who will be the Successor to Kim?

If birth order is any indicator then the successor would be
Kim Jong –un who has a double birth order of #4/2  He is
the only one that shares his fathers birth order of a second
born even through he also carries the 4^th birth order as well. 
His oldest son Kim Jong Nam was arrested in 2001 on a 
forged passport and is now out of favor with his father. 
Kim Jong –il’s older sister is married to Chang Sung –taek 
who may challenge Kim Jong –un for the leadership role in 
North Korea.

Nuclear Weapons

In 1994 and again in 2000 North Korea entered into 
agreements with the United States to freeze and dismantle 
its nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid in helping 
Korea get nuclear generators.  In 2002 Kim Jong –il admitted 
to having produced nuclear weapons since 1994 but said
they did so for security purposes.  On October 6, 2006 they
conducted their first underground nuclear test.

North Korean Army

North Korea has the largest military relative to the size of the
country in the world. It has the fourth largest standing army 
and with this power Kim has done little or nothing to relax his
control on all aspects of the economy.

Crazy or is it His two Birth Orders?

Psychological evaluations conclude that Kim Jong –il is
fearless in the face of sanctions and punishment.  All these 
are second born traits.  This makes negotiations with him
extraordinarily difficult.  Because of the cultural gender 
biases’ working with three different female US Secretary’s
of State has been exasperating. His birth order won’t 

let you get a good look inside his country or his life. Trying
to act like a number one birth order but behaving like a
second born only adds to the confusion.

To learn more about Double Birth Order read my book
Life's Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path
Throughout Life  by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst of visit my
website www.mybirthorder.com