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Kim Jong-Il's Last Visit Was to NK's First Supermarket
By wchung | 02 Jun, 2025
The late North Korean leader’s final public appearance was at the country’s first supermarket in Pyongyang last Thursday. Photos of that visit appeared in reports published by the state news agency after Kim had died Saturday morning, apparently as KCNA decided not to disclose his death until later.
On Kim’s final tour to the supermarket at Kwangbok street shopping center he was accompanied by Jon Il-chun, a high school classmate who heads up Room 39, a special Workers Party department that manages Kim’s personal finances. Jon’s presence during the visit suggests the supermarket’s profits were to go into Kim’s account, according to an unnamed S. Korean intelligence officer cited by Chosun Ilbo.
The photo also shows Ri Chol, chairman of a committee charged with attracting Chinese investment. Before taking over the committee last year Ri was ambassador to Geneva for 30 years. He too is seen as a close aide trusted with Kim’s finances. Ri’s presence on the tour suggests that the supermarket was inspired by Kim’s visit to a shopping area in Yangzhou, China and was built with Chinese investments, according to a Unification Ministry official.
Kim was seen riding one of the electric carts he purchased in China. He was observed to have trouble walking after his stroke in 2008.
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