Ex-Bodyguard Reveals Kim Jong Il’s Secret Life:

Ex-Bodyguard Reveals Kim Jong Il’s Secret Life: Interview with Defector Kang Jin

Few people have seen the secretive world of North Korea’s ruling family up close. One of them is Kang Jin, a former bodyguard to Kim Jong Il, who has now spoken out about his life of loyalty, strict rules, and eventual defection. His story provides a rare glimpse inside the hidden world of the Kim dynasty.

Life as Kim Jong Il’s Bodyguard

Kang Jin joined Kim Jong Il’s elite bodyguard unit at just 17 years old. For the next 13 years, he served at the regime’s “Special Villas”—lavish private residences reserved for the Kim family. These estates were equipped with yacht harbors, horse racetracks, and endless luxuries, starkly contrasting the poverty outside their walls.

According to Kang, parties were frequent and extravagant, often lasting for hours. Young women, typically between 17 and 20 years old, were handpicked to attend. However, bodyguards were strictly forbidden from speaking to them.

Strict Rules and Fear

The rules were absolute: bodyguards were told to “live and die for the leader.” Trespassers near the villas were shot on sight, and even minor infractions by construction workers could mean death. For Kang and his fellow guards, obedience and silence were survival.

Why Kang Defected

After being discharged at age 31, Kang saw the stark contrast between the luxurious villas and the widespread starvation across North Korea. He felt betrayed when denied a role in the security department due to a distant relative who had defected.

His disillusionment deepened, leading him to work as a broker reconnecting separated families. Eventually, he made the courageous decision to defect to South Korea in search of freedom and truth.

Final Thoughts

Kang Jin’s story is a rare window into the hidden life of Kim Jong Il’s regime—luxury for the few, suffering for the many. It also highlights the courage it takes for defectors to speak out, despite the risks.