Kim Jong Il [a] (/ ˌ 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 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea.

Jan 23, 2025 · Kim Jong Il's personal life was as complex and secretive as his political career. He is known to have had three wives throughout his life, albeit the details surrounding these relationships are often shrouded in mystery due to North Korea's strict control over information.

Feb 3, 2025 · Kim Jong Il (1941–2011) was the ruler of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father, Kim Il-Sung, who was North Korea’s leader from 1948 until his death in 1994.

Kim Jong Il (1941-1994) was the leader of North Korea from 1994 to his death in 2011. A very secretive and mysterious figure, he rarely traveled outside of North Korea and most of what is known about him has come from defectors whose views are not always reliable.

Dec 19, 2011 · North Korea state media built an elaborate cult of personality around the leader’s skills and accomplishments. Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s late president, was a reclusive figure who was often...

Apr 2, 2014 · Much of Kim Jong Il's persona is based on a cult of personality, meaning that legend and official North Korean government accounts describe his life, character and actions in ways that...

Kim Jong-il was a Stalinist. He believed in the North Korean Communist philosophy of Juche (self-reliance). He was afraid to travel on aeroplanes and traveled only on trains. He was well known for his love of movies and luxury goods, especially caviar and Hennessey brand cognac, even though North Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world.

Daily Life of Kim Jong Il. By many accounts Kim Jong Il was a workaholic. He reportedly slept fours a day and often stayed up al night and slept four hours during the say.

Kim Jong-il was born as Yuri Irsenovich Kim on February 16, 1941, in Vyatskoye village, near Khabarovsk, Soviet Union, to Kim II-sung and his first wife, Kim Jong-suk, while they were in exile during the Japanese invasion of Korea.

Jan 8, 2025 · Kim Jong-il’s personal life was complex, with multiple reported relationships. He was officially married to Kim Young-sook, with whom he had a daughter, Kim Sul-song. He also had several consorts, including Ko Yong-hui, the mother of his successor, Kim Jong-un.