Home > Anything Else > Death of a Dictator: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died

Death of a Dictator: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died


His son, Kim Jong-Un, is set to take over the reigns of the North Korean regime, one who may be even less stable than his father. To prove his readiness as leader, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll try to provoke some sort of crisis on the Korean peninsula in the coming days, especially if word reaches him that there are South Koreans who are jubilant over the news of his father’s death. Unsurprisingly, it is now being reported that South Korea’s military has been put on alert as a precaution …

Update: North Korea Declares Kim Jong Un ‘Supreme Leader’ as Memorial for Kim Jong Il Begins – “North Korea’s power brokers declared Kim Jong Un the supreme leader at a massive public memorial for his father Kim Jong Il, cementing the Kim family’s hold on power for another generation. The son, dubbed North Korea’s Great Successor, stood with his head bowed and somber in a dark overcoat on a balcony at the Grand People’s Study House overlooking Kim Il Sung Square and watched the memorial that doubled as a show of support for his burgeoning role as leader.” Read more.

“PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader, has died of heart failure. He was 69.

In a ‘special broadcast’ Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a ‘great mental and physical strain’ on Dec. 17 during a ‘high intensity field inspection.’ It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and ‘fully confirmed’ the diagnosis.

Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The communist country’s ‘Dear Leader’ – reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine – was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.

‘It is the biggest loss for the party … and it is our people and nation’s biggest sadness,’ an anchorwoman clad in black Korean traditional dress said in a voice choked with tears. She said the nation must ‘change our sadness to strength and overcome our difficulties.'” Read more.

South Korean military declares emergency alert after Kim Jong-il’s death – “South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday placed all military units on emergency alert following the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s death. The JCS said it called an emergency meeting of officials handling crisis management and operations just after noon Monday, after the North Korean media reported Kim’s death. The JCS said it has increased its monitoring activities along the border along with the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. No unusual activity had been observed from the North, officials said.” Source – Yonhap News Agency.

Flashback: North Korea confirms Kim Jong-il’s son will take over as leader – “A senior North Korean official confirmed today that Kim Jong-il’s youngest son will succeed him as the next leader of the reclusive communist nation. In the first public confirmation of the succession plan, Yang Hyong-sop referred to Kim Jong-un as ‘the young general’ during an interview with Associated Press Television News. Yang said the nation’s people were honoured to serve him as their leader.” Read more.

Categories: Anything Else
  1. 12/19/2011 at 7:03 AM

    This certainly begs the question: What will become of North Korea now.? We’ve seen in the past what a simple change in leadership can do for a country. Although i’m rather reticent to believe that Kim Jong-Un will change the ways of his father, it certainly gives a spark of hope to think that, Perhaps amid such a year of political turmoil across the globe, that North Korea has been given a chance to pull themselves out from under the thumb of a dictatorial regime.

    Like

  2. 12/19/2011 at 7:45 AM

    As for a North Korean “spring”..the chances are slim, if not non-existent. Why would Kim Jong-il’s son relinquish his chance to rule North Korea?

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  3. 12/19/2011 at 8:16 AM

    I’m sure A LOT of people are breathing a sigh of relief right now. His legacy will be one written in blood.

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  4. 12/19/2011 at 8:22 AM

    It doesn’t sound much like things will change with the advent of his son :(

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  5. 12/19/2011 at 9:21 AM

    So I’m guessing Baggers will blame Mr. Obama for this as well….?

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    • theplainblog's avatar
      Scholar Mel
      12/19/2011 at 9:26 AM

      Why would they?

      Like

    • 12/19/2011 at 11:48 AM

      If the Teabaggers are smart, they’ll avoid bring this up.

      Like

    • ICA's avatar
      ICA
      12/19/2011 at 8:39 PM

      That makes no sense, KMH. Obama is responsible for a lot of things, but this isn’t one of them.

      Like

  6. Unknown's avatar
    Anonymous
    12/19/2011 at 9:24 AM

    lets leave everythn in hand of our father JESUS CHRIST and remember no one is perfect

    Like

  7. 12/19/2011 at 9:55 AM

    It just gets scarier and scarier in North Korea. It seems there is no contact with reality. There will continue to be very,very slippery stones to navigate in this diplomatic stream, apparently for some time to come.

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  8. 12/19/2011 at 10:10 AM

    If the successor was someone other than his son I could see there being some changes on how that country has run… but it his son… so don’t expect too much.

    The country reminds me of a laboratory, a very controlled environment. These people don’t know anything of the western world and how we live and what a democratic society is, so change will never be demanded. The government will only keep control.

    Their TV, radio and internet is very controlled to keep out the western world and to keep in what brain washing goes on in that country. Nothing but how brilliant their leader is and how lucky they are to have him is broadcast all the time everywhere you go. That is why today on TV all you see is them standing in line in great sorrow because they think they have lost a father not a dictator as they don’t know what one is. They sadly don’t know the truth.

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  9. 12/19/2011 at 10:14 AM

    I live in South Korea and have written about what’s going on here with background info on North Korea, Kim Jong Il, and the cultures of both countries to hopefully answer some people’s questions:

    http://lestismitethee.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/gally-in-south-korea-kim-jong-il-dead/

    Like

  10. 12/19/2011 at 10:30 AM

    I agree. I hope this “heir” is a lot better about the conflicts on the South Korean peninsula. Time will tell.

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  11. 12/19/2011 at 10:38 AM

    We too hope that this new leader will be better than the old. It will be an interesting time for every country in that region.

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  12. 12/19/2011 at 11:14 AM

    I don’t know if there was any worse place to live in the world than North Korea under Kim Jong-Il. I understand concerns about what is next, but honestly it is hard to imagine things getting any worse. Any idea that this development is unfortunate because “at least there was stability under the Dear Leader” is a profound misunderstanding of the atrocities committed by this regime. As for me, I hope for the possibility of change and true human freedom in North Korea.

    Like

  13. Rosdet Nascimento's avatar
    RosdeT
    12/19/2011 at 11:26 AM

    it can only improve.. it can only improve.. but let us see

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  14. 12/19/2011 at 11:54 AM

    What’s Next?

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  15. 12/19/2011 at 11:54 AM

    now the koea he gow to another step in his histry!

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  16. 12/19/2011 at 12:06 PM

    With everything I have heard about his son, this is still scary news…..
    Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

    Like

  17. fireandair's avatar
    fireandair
    12/19/2011 at 12:30 PM

    “The communist country’s ‘Dear Leader’ – reputed to have had a taste for all sorts of nice things that no one else in his country had ever experienced in their lives nor would they ever – was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.”

    :-P

    Like

  18. 12/19/2011 at 3:18 PM

    Wonder if he will ever get use to the “Heat” where he is headed lol.

    Like

  19. Unknown's avatar
    Anonymous
    12/19/2011 at 4:11 PM

    And than we have China who will also soon have a new leader

    Rev 9:12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
    Rev 9:13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.
    Rev 9:14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
    Rev 9:15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
    Rev 9:16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
    Rev 9:17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
    Rev 9:18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.
    Rev 9:19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
    Rev 9:20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.

    http://patdollard.com/2011/12/pentagon-report-china-military-build-up-in-preparation-for-war-over-taiwan/

    Willard

    Like

  20. 12/19/2011 at 5:09 PM

    i think both the so called democracy and the so called dictorship have all failed human race. take a look at democracy and it;s effects in Africa; people have died and immorality have increased in the name of freedom of expression. some people are gradually sinking the world thinking they are saving it. http://princedapace.wordpress.com.

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  21. 12/20/2011 at 3:06 AM

    Nothing will happen on the Korean peninsula yet. I have lived there in the past and every year there is some critical event that makes things look dreadful. I am certain that eventually South Korea will undermine the North and invade if there are any resources to be found there (and they would at least want the cheap labor). In the meantime, people in Seoul will be sipping ice blends and wondering where to buy a new pair of shoes, I promise you.

    Like

  22. 12/20/2011 at 3:22 AM

    inalillahi wa inailaihi rhaji’un,

    Like

  23. me's avatar
    me
    12/20/2011 at 6:16 AM

    Died another idiot dictator of the world, as well as saddam hussein, geddafi and now Kim Jong-il.

    Newspapers in the world live in the misery of others and have to sell paper and news …

    The world has many serious problems caused by the dark past of its history and its miserable present.

    Like

  24. 12/20/2011 at 7:42 AM

    Good to see that one of our worlds grade a scumbags has died. Lets hope his son is a better leader.

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  25. 12/20/2011 at 8:46 AM

    I just hope that the USgov does more to “help” the people than they did in most other countries they “help”. Seems the only way this will happen is if the “relationship” between any country and the USgov includes allowing the USgov the power to control the other country in some way, even if it means installing a murderous, dictator like they did in Iran in the 1950s.

    Like

  26. 12/20/2011 at 8:53 AM

    if it wasn’t so long maybe someone would read it

    Like

  27. 12/20/2011 at 12:59 PM

    It’s premature to say that his son will be worse than him. Yes, he has said some crazy things, however, if you had put a microphone in front of me as a child/young adult there would be many countries on high alert too. Time will tell.

    Like

  28. 12/20/2011 at 11:45 PM

    Gally in South Korea: Reactions One Day After News of Kim Jong-Il’s Death
    http://lestismitethee.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/gally-in-south-korea-reactions-one-day-after-kim-jong-ils-death/

    Like

  29. hudson's avatar
    hudson
    12/22/2011 at 3:09 AM

    This blog is elegant and superb good job!

    Like

  30. 12/25/2011 at 10:52 PM

    Wow, Kim Jong Il is dead. Hmm, I wonder how will the situation would change between North and South Korea with the new successor. Hopefully for the best.

    Like

  31. 01/03/2012 at 7:21 AM

    And they have put his son in? I’m not sure the world, or north Korea is in a better place to be perfectly honest

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  32. 01/07/2012 at 3:52 PM

    I don’t think Kim Jong Un is particularly pleased to be in power, he has been given responsibility of a country in trouble. Maybe you’re right, maybe he will try to masquerade his power. One news report chillingly said “No one knows what Kim Jong-Un is capable of, not even Kim Jong-Un himself”.
    Fantastic blog by the way! Jay (have a look at mine if you get a chance, not as detailed yet, similar topics though). (inspired)

    Like

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