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

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.
Mot
her
#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 4th 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