Kim Bo-hyon


Kim Bo-hyon was a farmer from the South Pyongan province. He was the paternal grandfather of the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Il-sung, the great-grandfather of Kim Jong-il, and great-great-grandfather of the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.

Biography

Kim Bo-hyon was born in 3 October 1871 as the only son to Mangyongdae farmer Kim Ung-u. Kim Ung-u died at the age of thirty, one day after Kim Bo-hyon's seventh birthday. Without his father, Kim went to live with his uncle.
In his twenties, Bo-Hyon married a girl named Lee Bo-ik, who was five years younger than Kim. Together, they had three sons and three daughters, the most well known of the offspring being Kim Hyong-jik. To feed his six offspring, Kim was said to have woken up at early dawn and went around the village to collect manure, while at night, twist straw ropes, make straw sandals and plait straw mats by lamplight.
Kim Il-sung claimed his ancestors, including his grandfather Kim Bo-hyon and great-grandfather Kim Ung-u, were involved in the General Sherman incident.

Legacy

Kim Bo-hyon and Lee Bo-ik were likened as "patriots" by the Editorial Committee for the Short Biography of Kim Il-sung.
In 19 August 2013, wreaths were sent by various North Korean organizations to the tombs of Kim Bo-hyon and Lee Bo-ik.

Family