Early life edit

Childhood to young adulthood edit

Partisan activities edit

Soviet Union and return to Korea edit

Leadership edit

1st term (1946–48) edit

Defeating the Domestic faction edit

Cult of personality edit

2nd term (1948–56) edit

WPNK–WPSK merger edit

Korean War edit

Purge of Pak Hon-yong and his followers edit

Economic reconstruction edit

3rd term (1956–61) edit

August Faction Incident and de-Stalinisation edit

Inter-Korean relations edit

Sino–Soviet split edit

Chollima Movement edit

4th term (1961–70) edit

Kapsan Faction Incident edit

Juche edit

5th term (1970–80) edit

Three Revolution Work Movement edit

Military first edit

Ascension of Kim Jong-il edit

6th term (1980–94) edit

Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Pyongyang Declaration edit

Economic stagnation and downturn edit

Succession edit

Death and state funeral edit

Style of leadership edit

Great Leader edit

Propaganda edit

Nepotism and intermarriage edit

Political ideology edit

Personal life and characteristics edit

Legacy edit