Kim Jong Il

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Kim Jong Il

North Korean political leader

Also known as: Kim Chong Il

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Also spelled:: Kim Chong Il

Born:: February 16, 1941, Siberia, Russia, U.S.S.R.

Died:: December 17, 2011 (aged 70)

Political Affiliation:: Korean Workers’ Party

Notable Family Members:: father Kim Il-Sung; daughter Kim Yo-Jong; son Kim Jong-Nam; son Kim Jong-Un

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Kim Jong Il (born February 16, 1941, Siberia, Russia, U.S.S.R.—died December 17, 2011) was the ruler of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father, Kim Il-Sung, who became the first premier of the newly formed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 1948 and remained its leader until his death in 1994. The official North Korean version of Kim Jong Il’s life diverges from what historians and journalists outside of North Korea have documented about his life. According to North Korea’s account, Kim was born on February 16, 1942, at a guerrilla base camp on Mount Paektu, the ...(100 of 1100 words)

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