Kim Bo-hyon
Paternal grandfather of Kim Il-sung
About Kim Bo-hyon
Lived 1871 – 1955 (aged 83). Kim Bo-hyon was a South Korean and North Korean peasant.
Kim Pohyŏn (; 3 October 1871 – 2 September 1955) was a farmer from South Pyongan Province. He was the paternal grandfather of the founder of North 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.
He is buried in the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in North Korea.
Biography Kim Pohyŏn was born on 3 October 1871 as the only son to Mangyongdae farmer Kim Ŭngu (17 June 1848 – 4 October 1878). Kim Ŭngu died at the age of thirty, one day after Kim Pohyŏn's seventh birthday. Without his father, Kim went to live with his uncle.
In his twenties, Pohyŏn married a girl named Yi Poik, who was five years younger than him. 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, he was said to twist straw ropes, make straw sandals and plait straw mats by lamplight.
Kim Il Sung claimed his ancestors, including his grandfather Kim Pohyŏn and great-grandfather Kim Ŭngu, were involved in the General Sherman incident, despite the fact that Kim Pohyŏn was not born until five years later. The account, undisputed in North Korea, has been questioned by independent scholars abroad.
A statue in his honor stands at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery.
In 1947, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea established an agricultural college named in his honor.
On 19 August 2013, wreaths were sent by various North Korean organizations to the tombs of Kim Pohyŏn and Yi Poik.
Family
Father: Kim Ŭngu (; 17 June 1848 – 4 October 1878) Grandfather: Kim Songnyŏng (; 1 December 1810 – 12 March 1899) Grandmother: Na Hyŏnjik (; 4 March 1811 – 23 January 1897) Mother: Lady Yi Wife: Yi Poik (; 31 May 1876 – 18 October 1958) Son: Kim Hyong-jik (; 10 July 1894 – 5 June 1926) Son: Kim Hyŏngnok Son: Kim Hyong-gwon (; 4 November 1905 – 12 January 1936) Daughter: Kim Kuil Daughter: Kim Hyŏngsil Daughter: Kim Hyŏngpok
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Important facts
People in Kim Bo-hyon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Kim Bo-hyon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Kim Bo-hyon?
paternal grandfather of Kim Il-sung (1871-1955)
When was Kim Bo-hyon born?
Kim Bo-hyon was born on 3 October 1871 in Mangyŏngdae.
When did Kim Bo-hyon die?
Kim Bo-hyon died on 2 September 1955 in Pyongyang.
What was Kim Bo-hyon's occupation?
Kim Bo-hyon was a peasant.
What nationality was Kim Bo-hyon?
Kim Bo-hyon was South Korean and North Korean.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kim Bo-hyon. https://biography.guide/kim-bo-hyon/
MLA: "Kim Bo-hyon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kim-bo-hyon/.
Chicago: "Kim Bo-hyon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kim-bo-hyon/.
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