Kim Jong-il

Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il, Korean: 김정일) (born 16 February 1941, Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, Soviet Union; official biographies state 16 February 1942, Baekdu Mountain, Korea under Japanese rule, died in December 17, 2011) was the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was 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 (now the eternal president), founder of North Korea, who died in 1994, and commanded the fourth largest standing army in the world. North Korea officially refers to him as the "Dear Leader" even after his death.