Kim Jong Il [a] (/ k ɪ m dʒ ɒ ŋ ˈ ɪ l / ⓘ; [3] Korean: 김정일, Korean pronunciation: [kim.dzɔŋ.il] ⓘ; [b] born Yuri Kim; [c] 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who led North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) from the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994 until his death in ...

Jan 20, 2003 · Outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his 2000 summit with Kim Jong Il, praises him as a “man of insight.” And the Dear Leader impressed former U.S....

Jun 17, 2020 · Current leader Kim Jong-un has consolidated his power, purging many top officials and continuing to boost the country’s nuclear capabilities. North Korea is among the world’s poorest nations....

Richard Lloyd Parry: Dear Leader’s new image The first credible pictures of Kim Jong Il for eight months emerged today as he was unanimously re-elected Supreme Leader of North Korea. The military

Jan 23, 2025 · Kim Jong Il, born on February 16, 1941, was the supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 until his death in 2011. Known for his cult of personality, Kim's leadership style and military-first policies significantly impacted North Korea. Who is Kim Jong Il?

Feb 17, 2025 · North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid his respect at a family mausoleum to mark the birthday of his late father and former leader Kim Jong Il, state media KCNA said Monday, pledging to continue the "sacred struggle" for prosperity and security.

Apr 17, 2013 · For a man who had been posed as second-in-command (and thus one step up from Kim Jong-un) when Kim Jong-il was still alive and greeting powerful foreign friends, it was a staggering fall.

Kim's older brother Kim Jong-nam was the original heir apparent to Kim Jong-il, but he lost that title when he was caught trying to sneak into Japan with a fake passport to go to Disneyland Tokyo (yes, really). Kim Jong-Un shot to prominence — and his father's favor — after that.

Oct 6, 2009 · Handpicked by Joseph Stalin to rule over North Korea and a fluent Russian speaker himself, Kim Il Sung deemed study of the language essential to relations with the Soviet Union, North Korea's...

Dec 19, 2011 · North Korea marked the passing of power Monday to a scion of the same family that's ruled unchallenged since World War II. Jeffrey Brown reports on Kim Jong-il's 17-year reign and the...