Kim Il-sung

Kim Il-sung (Korean: 김일성) born Kim Sŏng-ju (김성주); (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1943) was a Korean resistance and guerrilla fighter against the Japanese Occupation. Kim became interested in Communism and joined the Communist Party of China in 1931. After seeking refuge in the Soviet Union, Kim joined the Red Army and served in it during World War II until late 1942, where he reentered Japanese Korea from Vladivostok. There, he commenced raids on the Japanese forces in Korea. Kim was killed in battle against the Japanese Army in Northern Korea on July 8, 1943. Since the liberation of Korea by the Soviet Union in 1945, Kim has been seen as a national hero and a martyr for Korean independence and Korean socialism.