Supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011, Kim Jong Il was the second Kim to rule North Korea, after the death of his father, Kim Il-Sung. Facing devastating famine and natural disasters in the 1990s, Kim broke slightly with his father in opening up North Korea to free markets. These gestures of economic reform mirror China’s during the late 1980s, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. This compelling book provides a sharp look at Kim Jong
Il. Chapters include a profile of his reign’s controversies and contradictions, an examination of privilege and power, a look at the two sides of Kim, and a meditation on Kim’s legacy.