Kim Il Sung

American

[kim il soong, suhng] / ˈkɪm ˈɪl ˈsʊŋ, ˈsʌŋ /

noun

1912–94, North Korean political leader: premier 1948–72; president 1972–94.

Kim Il-sung British

/ kim iːlsʌŋ /

noun

1912–94, North Korean statesman and marshal; prime minister (1948–72) and president (1972–94) of North Korea

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One North Korean, who defected while studying in Poland in 1989, put it more succinctly: “When I was in North Korea, I thought Kim Il Sung was God.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Kim Il Sung had ruled without interruption for nearly a half century.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Belarusian state media showed Kim and Lukashenko hugging at a lavish welcome programme on Wednesday involving an artillery salute and goose-stepping soldiers before a large flag-waving crowd at Kim Il Sung Square.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The annual event was established in 1981 to celebrate the birth of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Khamenei's last known foreign trip was an official visit to North Korea in 1989 as president, where he met Kim Il Sung.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023