It was announced on Monday that the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, had died. Officials said that he had actually died two days before that while riding a train. The country also said that it had started to transfer power to Kim Jong-un, one of Il’s sons.
Kim Jong Il died of an advanced acute myocardial infarction that came with a heart shock. A statement released by the White House late Sunday night said the following:
“We are closely monitoring reports that Kim Jong Il is dead. The President has been notified, and we are in close touch with our allies in South Korea and Japan. We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies.”
A White House press release regarding President Obama speaking with Republic of Korea President Lee-Myung-bak, according to the Huffington Post:
“The President reaffirmed the United States’ strong commitment to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the security of our close ally, the Republic of Korea. The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch as the situation develops and agreed they would direct their national security teams to continue close coordination.”
Kim Jong Il took over power of North Korea in 1994 when his father, Kim Il Sung died. Kim Il Sung was the founder of North Korea. Kim Il Sung trained his son for 20 years when it came to leading the communist country. In September of this year, Kim Jong Il announced that his third son, Kim Jong Un would be his successor.
Kim was accused of a 1983 bombing by South Korea, one that killed 17 South Korean officials who were visiting with Burma, which is now Myanmar. A Korean Air Flight was bombed in 1987, killing all 115 people on the plane. It was discovered, with information from a North Korean agent who planted the device, told officials that Kim ordered to have the plane bombed.
“Look, Kim Jong Il is a dangerous person. He’s a man who starves his people. He’s got huge concentration camps. And … there is concern about his capacity to deliver a nuclear weapon,” Bush said in 2005.
The country of North Korea has struggled mightily with resources such as food, especially after a flood destroyed most of the farmlands in the country. Kim was known to be interested in professional basketball, foreign films, and cars. Kim has also been involved in historical epics, producing several North Korean films.
The marital status of Kim was never clear but he did have three companions and is believed to have been married once. Kim has at least three sons, from two different women, and a daughter by a third woman. The oldest son of Kim Jong Nam fell out of favor with his father when he tried to go to Japan on a fake passport back in 2001.