Chapter 1. Behind the Scenes of the Second Inter-Korean Summit: 365 Days
- Phase 1: Exploration — From Missile Launches to the February 13 Agreement
- Phase 2: Preparation — From the February 13 Agreement to Assistant Secretary Hill’s Visit to Pyongyang
- Phase 3: Breakthrough — From Hill’s Visit to the Summit Agreement
Chapter 2. Kim Jong-il’s Rhetoric: Dialogues Between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il
- “My Expectations Were Completely Wrong”
- The First Meeting Between the Two Leaders
- June 14, 2000: The Second Day in Pyongyang — “The Longest Day”
- “The Evaluation of Park Chung-hee Should Be Left to Future Generations…”
- “We Seek to Become a More Prosperous Nation”
- Testimonies: “This Was the Kind of Person He Was”
Chapter 3. Image and Reality: Kim Jong-il’s Leadership
- “I Lost Ten Years in Dealing with People”
- Patronage Politics and Strict Control Over Relatives
- “A Strong Interest in Military Affairs from an Early Age”
Chapter 4. All Roads Lead to Him: Kim Jong-il’s North Korea
- Consolidation of the “Kim Il-sung–Kim Jong-il Ideological System”
- Reorganization of the Workers’ Party of Korea
- Initiation of Military Restructuring
- Administrative Reforms Following Party and Military Changes
- Centralization of Inter-Korean Affairs
- Construction of Charismatic Authority
Chapter 5. Who Is He? Kim Jong-il’s Private Life
- Rumors and Reality
- Daily Life: “A Night Owl and a Workaholic”
- Family Relations: The Secret of Residence No. 5
- The “Pleasure Squad”: Truth or Myth
- Personality Traits
- Intelligence Assessments by the CIA
Chapter 6. Between a ‘Completed Myth’ and ‘Misinterpretation’: Birth and Early Life (1942–1964)
- The Mystery of His Birthplace: Soviet Union or Mount Paektu
- Political Turmoil and Arrival in Pyongyang
- Biological Mother Kim Jong-suk and Stepmother Kim Song-ae
- School Years
Chapter 7. Inheriting Power: The Path of a Successor (1964–1974)
- Privilege or Capability?
- Ascension at the Age of 33
- Support from the First and Second Generations
Chapter 8. Clay in Hand: Myths and Realities of the “North Korea Collapse” Theory
- Unrealistic Collapse Scenarios
- Institutional Stability of Governance
- Six Structural Discrepancies
Chapter 9. Change and Dilemma in Pyongyang: Is North Korea Transforming?
- The Party Remains Above the Military
- Winds of Change and Systemic Dilemmas
