Yes, he saw a lot: the fall of Berlin Wall, execution of Ceausescu couple in Romania, the collapse of Soviet Union, and emergence of former East European countries as new democratic countries. Especially Poland. His children grew up in E. Europe, too.
Kim Jong-eun is very paranoid now, which put even a currently marginal figure like Pyong-il in danger.
That is really sad. Apparently, poor Pyong-il has a terminally infectious disease. All the penicillin in the world can't help him now.