Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung


Kim Il Sung, founder and supreme leader of North Korea, died of a heart attack in the early morning of 8 July 1994 at age 82. North Korea's government did not report the death for more than 34 hours after it occurred. An official mourning period was declared from 8–17 July, during which the national flag was flown at half mast throughout the country, and all forms of amusement and dancing were prohibited.
Radio Pyongyang reported that Kim had died from a heart attack. His son Kim Jong Il was announced as North Korea's next leader with the title of "The Great Successor" that same day, marking the beginning of a dynasty of rulers in the country. Seventeen years later, he died on 17 December 2011 of the same cause of death as his father and the younger Kim's demise was announced 51 hours
later.

Background

On the late morning just before 12:00 noon of 7 July 1994, Kim Il Sung collapsed at his residence in Hyangsan from a sudden heart attack. His son Kim Jong Il ordered the team of doctors who were constantly at his father's side to leave, and arranged for the country's best doctors to be flown in from Pyongyang. After several hours, the doctors from Pyongyang arrived, but despite their efforts to save him, Kim Il Sung died at around 2:00 am local time on 8 July 1994. His death was declared 34 hours later.
The announcement of the death of the supreme leader was made live over Korean Central Television at noon by the channel's news presenter Chon Hyong-kyu on 9 July 1994.
Kim Il Sung's death resulted in nationwide mourning and a ten-day mourning period was declared by Kim Jong Il. His funeral in Pyongyang was attended by hundreds of thousands of people from all over North Korea. Kim Il Sung's body was placed in a public mausoleum at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where his preserved and embalmed body lies under a glass coffin for viewing purposes. His head rests on a Korean-style pillow and he is covered by the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea. Newsreel video of the funeral at Pyongyang was broadcast on several networks, and subsequently made available on various websites. A further mourning period lasted until the third anniversary of his death in 1997.

Reactions

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International reactions

Funeral service

Kim Jong Il was chairman of the funeral committee. The committee also included Defense Minister O Jin-u, and Vice President Kim Yong Ju, who was Kim Il Sung's younger brother.
The funeral committee released communique regarding the funeral:
The state funeral was scheduled to be held on 17 July but was delayed until 19 July. It included the observance of three minutes of silence throughout the country. Attendance to the funeral was two million people.

Funeral committee

The funeral committee was chaired by Kim Jong Il and had 273 members, including: