▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Kim ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁in ▁South ▁Py ong an ▁Province . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁brother - in - law ▁of ▁Han ▁Tok - su , ▁former ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Association ▁of ▁Korean ▁Res idents ▁in ▁Japan . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁F run ze ▁Military ▁Academy ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁R K K A ▁Military ▁Academy . ▁ ▁Military ▁career ▁Kim ▁joined ▁Kim ▁Il - s ung ' s ▁United ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁first - gener ation ▁leaders ▁such ▁as ▁Ri ▁Ul - sol ▁and ▁Kim ▁I k - hy on . ▁▁ ▁Kim ▁saw ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁and ▁suffered ▁physical ▁w ounds . ▁ ▁Kim ▁also ▁held ▁many ▁para - mil it ary ▁posts . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁Director - General ▁of ▁the ▁Str ategy ▁Bureau ▁in ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁People ' s ▁Security . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁central ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁unit ary ▁leadership ▁and ▁a ▁collect ive ▁principle ▁system ▁in ▁North ▁Korea , ▁along ▁with ▁Kim ▁J ong - il . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁Central ▁Military ▁Commission ▁of ▁the ▁Korean ▁Work ers ' ▁Party . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Def ense ▁Commission . ▁Kim ▁lead ▁North ▁Korea '