KIM JONG-IL Biography - Polititians

 
 

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KIM JONG-IL

Name: Kim Jong-il                                                                   
Born: 16 February 1941 Vyatskoye, Soviet Union                                     
                                                                                   
Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il) (born February 16, 1941, Vyatskoye,       
Soviet Union; official biographies state February 16, 1942, Baekdu Mountain,       
Japanese Korea) is the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He     
is the Chairman of the National Defense Commission, Supreme Commander of the       
Korean People's Army, and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (the     
ruling party since 1948). He succeeded his father Kim Il-sung, founder of North     
Korea, who died in 1994, and commands the 5th largest standing army in the world.   
North Korea officially refers to him as the "Great Leader"; until the mid-1990s,   
his English honorific was "Dear Leader".                                           
                                                                                   
There are a number of disputes amongst historians in regard to events in Kim       
Jong-il's life. These relate to his alleged cult of personality, which is           
discussed here.