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Kim Il Sung's Real Name: Kim Song Ju
Kim Il Sung's birth name was Kim Song Ju.
Kim Il Sung, the founding leader of North Korea, was born Kim Song Ju on April 15, 1912, in Mangyongdae, near Pyongyang, during Japanese rule of Korea.
As a young man he joined anti-Japanese guerrilla units in Manchuria and adopted the nom de guerre Kim Il Sung, which according to his Independent obituary was the name of an earlier famous anti-Japanese guerrilla. He used it for the rest of his life.
Kim ruled North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994, first as premier and later as president. He launched the 1950 invasion of South Korea that began the Korean War, built a pervasive personality cult and ran a totalitarian system with political prison camps. He was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.
FAQ
Why did Kim Song Ju change his name?
He took the nom de guerre Kim Il Sung as an anti-Japanese guerrilla in the 1930s.
How long did Kim Il Sung rule North Korea?
From 1948 until his death in 1994.