COURTESY OF SUNG HAE RANG FROM THE "THE WISTERIA HOUSE"

Movie star Sung Hae Rim, pictured here in Moscow, lived secretly with Kim for over two decades

The Women In Kim's Life
	Kim Jong Il's cloistered home life has revolved around five women—from his war-hero mother to the official wife his father forced him to marry. To those who know him best, Kim can be a loving—and terrifyingly volatile—man

Posted Monday, June 23, 2003; 22:50 HKT
A HERO OF HER TIME
Kim Jong Sook
The peasant turned revolutionary fighter is venerated in North Korea as one of the country's "three generals," the others being Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Born in 1917, she joined Kim Il Sung's guerrilla band at age 18, later marrying him and giving birth to Kim Jong Il in Khabarovsk, Soviet Union. She died at 32, when Kim junior was just seven years old, leaving him alone in the shadow of his all-powerful father

THE FIRST LADY
Kim Kyung Hee
Kim's younger sister is one of the country's most powerful figures. A senior member of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, she is often referred to as the "First Lady"—a distinction that Kim Jong Il has denied to his wives. She is married to Chang Song Taek, a member of the Dear Leader's inner circle

HIS SECRET LOVE
Sung Hae Rim
A North Korean movie star who lived with Kim for two decades, Sung Hae Rim was the mother of his eldest son. Yet Kim was terrified of revealing his secret relationship with her to his father. She died in exile in Moscow last year and is buried there

THE CHOSEN ONE
Kim Young Sook
The daughter of a high-ranking military official, Kim Young Sook was handpicked by Kim Il Sung in the early 1970s to marry his son. She is the mother of Kim Jong Il's only daughter, and is considered his "official" wife

DANCING GIRL
Ko Young Hee
Ko caught Kim Jong Il's eye when he saw her act in a state dance troupe. The mother of his likely heir apparent, 22-year-old Kim Jong Chul, she is said to accompany the Dear Leader on military inspections. An official campaign is now under way to glorify her as a "respected mother" and "loyal subject," so that she can one day join Kim Jong Il's mother in the nation's pantheon of heroes. That would help pave the way for Kim Jong Chul to eventually take over from his father as North Korea's leader

Source: TIME Research

1 | 2 | 3 | Next

	The Supremo In His Labyrinth [February 11, 2002] A longtime bodyguard tells TIME the wicked ways of North Korea's Dear Leader Kim's Rackets [June 2, 2003] To fund his lifestyle—and his nukes—Kim Jong Il helms a vast criminal network Home the Hard Way [June 7, 2003] Hundreds of South Koreans have been abducted by the North over the decades—and only a handful have ever escaped. A TIME Special Report Reckless Driving [May 5, 2003] Kim Jong Il's erratic moves strengthen the hawks' case for regime change More Related Items | Search all issues of TIME Magazine