Kim Jong Il Profiles

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Kim Jong Il North Korea leader


Kim Jong Il relaxing

Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader who realized his family’s dream of turning his starving country into a minor nuclear-weapons power even as the isolated nation sank further into despotism, died on Saturday of a heart attack, according to the country’s state-run media.

The North kept news of the death of its leader secret for roughly two days, perhaps a sign that the leadership was struggling to position itself for what many believe could be a particularly perilous transition. Kim Jong-il’s death came after a long illness, dating to 2008, that American intelligence agencies believed involved some form of a stroke. The North has indicated he was 69 years old, but scholars have said he could have been a year older.

“We took every emergency measure we could, but the great leader passed away,” the North Korean statement said.

His death ended 17 years of rule over the isolated, paranoid country that his father, Kim Il-sung, founded, and that Mr. Kim made clear he wanted to pass on to his son Kim Jong-un.

But it is far from clear whether the North Korean military will bless the continuation of the family dynasty, and American and Asian officials were on alert on Sunday evening for any signs that the country, which has almost inexplicably avoided collapse in recent decades, could begin to fracture.