2000 there appeared to be a thaw in north/south relations, the first ever summit meeting between kim jong-il and president kim dae-jung. the south's so-called policy of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit. but kim jong-il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program. the u.s. labelled it part of the axis of evil in 2002, a year later, north korea withdrew from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. in 2006, the north conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles. it added extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with north korea's nuclear program. a breakthrough came in 2007 when kim jong-il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor, in return for fuel and better relations with the u.s. despite dramatically blowing up the cooling tower, north korea seemed to backtrack afterwards, the deal appeared to be in jeopardy. the capture of two u.s. journalists, laura ling and euna lee on the north korean border sparked another crisis in 2009. it ended when former president bill clinton flew in and successfully negotiated their release, prompting hopes there would be further enga

>>> kim jong il always cast a slightly bizarre figure. his stature and characteristic hair were empowerment for some in the west, but for the democratic people of korea, kim was feared, loved, worshipped and his cultured personality was deeply entrenched. his father was kim il sue who founded the people in world war ii. they invaded the american bats south. after fighting ended, kim became stee steeped in his father's reality, and they became exclusive. they remained technically at work separated by a tense demilitarized zone. gradually kim jong il was groomed for the top, making appearances in front of cheering crowds. when kim sung il died in 1974, his son became ruling secretary of the party of korea, and as head of the army, he resumed his position of power. >> he was the person who was responsible for awful things. for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships probably not only in korean history but in war history the 21st century. he did not create his dictatorship, but he took the responsibility and he made sure it continued f

north korean leader kim jong il is dead. te-run news agency, kcna says the 69-year-old dear leader died of a heart attack while on a train trip on saturday. his youngest son, kim jong un is already being referred to as the great successor. kim jong il took control in 1994 when his father, called great leader, died of a heart attack. funeral is planned for december 28th. journalist and documentary film maker has spent several weeks filming north korean refugees as they escaped through china, and earlier i spoke with her about the possibility instability could lead to a major influx of refugees into china. >> part of the reason why they have such trouble escaping through china is there is a bounty price placed on their head by chinese government, so citizens and policemen are in some cases awarded several hundred dollars for turning in refugees and china has stepped up security and succeeded in stemming the flow of refugees and the concern for china is trying to stabilize that situation and trying to prevent any massive influx

under kim jong un or possibly kim jong il era. much be obsessed to develop the economy more than anything else. because kim jong il kind of wanted his son to become like china's -- china's dow ping. so first it will be the choice, on the part of kim jong un. if that doesn't work of course, i think it is -- it is highly unlikely that north korea will reform and change and become a liberal democratic system. >> han park speaking to us earlier. breaking news coverage on the death of north korean leader kim jong il continues in a moment. stay with us. if you're like my patients, you want to hear you've done a good job. that's why i recommend a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. so be ready for your next dental check-up. try any crest pro-health rinse. we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a holiday trip to the big apple twice as fast! dinner! [ garth ] we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang! it's

it was not the same as when kim jong il took over from kim il-sung because kim jong il had 20 years to prepare, whereas kim jong un only had two or three years. and so he will not be as easy or orderly as it was before. but even then, it was not very soon after kim jong il surfaced. he waited for three years before he was officially the successor to kim il-sung, his father. >> okay. ambassador han sung joo, also the former foreign minister there on the line. giving us some perspective and raising new questions about the death of kim jong il, the leader of north korea. just to recap and bring you up to date with everything that we know right now, about kim jong il's death, state media announced he had in fact died on saturday. they made the announcement within the last few hours, he had a heart attack whilst traveling on a train. an autopsy did confirm the cause of death, it did take two days for the announcement to come out. we have been told that his son, kim jong un will head a funeral committee of 232 people. the ambassador just told us that. also, we know the stock market in south

let's not forget, these are the same questions posed about his father when kim jong il succeeded kim il sung is president for eternity. the questions were asked whether he would have the authority, those same questions being asked about kim jong un now. kim jong il had a long apprenticeship, 20 years by his father's son. his son only a matter of a few years. he's inheriting a country that is poor, that we know is cut off from the rest of the world where there's a hard line old leadership, military leadership in place, and how he's able to impose himself on that is going to be the real test as well as what sort of country he wants to lead, monita. >> stan, talk to us a little bit about the relationship between pyongyang and beijing and how they became these close allies? was it a case of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer? or was there some sense of genuine i guess commonality between them? >> reporter: an ideological unity certainly, if you go back six decades. that was at the core of this relationship. also, it was forged on the battlefield during the korean war. chi

it's kim jong-il. south korean -- a south korean news organization is reporting that north korean television is saying that north korean leader kim jong-il has died. pyongyang again, state television making that announcement. that's according to south korean, a south korean news organization. this is a live picture and that's all, am i correct, that the north korean television is showing. they just have a picture up of kim jong-il. they say that the veteran leader died at about 8:30 a.m. on december 17th and that the announcement was made by a weeping announcer on television. but this is all north korean television is showing is just a picture of the supreme leader kim jong-il. so there are news organizations there that are reporting that kim jong-il has died. our international wing of cnn working on information. we will get more to you within this broadcast. but again, this is what's being reported. north korean leader kim jong-il has died. cnn checking to verify all of that information. make sure you

military are lined up behind kim jong uned and in addition there is the factor of his uncle who has been widelier is received as really the power behind the throne during kim jong il's final illness. there are a lot of different actors who might decide this is the time to make a move and have kim jong un just be the public face of the regime for awhile while they try to get power for themselves. >> a smooth transition of power may not even be possible? >> we have absolutely no idea whether there are already thing going on behind the scenes or whether it has been happening while we have been watching and waiting to see how long kim jong il would survive. there has only been one transfer of power in the country and that, of course, was to kim jong il. there has been as i mentioned at least two prior heirs apparent. the idea that we will have a smooth transition of power is possible but i think everyone in washington and tokyo and beijing should be prepared for something not as smooth. >> and south korea and the u.s. received many threats from kim jong il. can we expect any action during this transition? >> i think that is probably likely. once the funeral is over at t

the world's attention is also on kim jong-il's youngest son, kim jong-un. family. it is kind of sketchy but here's what we know about the family tree. kim jong-il had three wives and a mistress. had he two children with his mississip mistress and two had his second wife. that wife is kim john unng-un b tristy lee stout has a little bit of insight. >> reporter: a little more than a year ago the world good a glimpse of kim jong-un. catapulted from on security only the day before catapulted from four-star general in the people's korean army. it cemented rumors circling around the state for a year that the kim dynasty would run to a third generation. but their lives are celebrated in great detail every day in the media, kim jong-un's life is a blank for most of north korea. the youngest of three known sons of kim jong-il, he was born into a life of privilege and luxury. his mother was a japanese born korean and professional dancer. she studied as a teenager in an insurance school in switzerland, reportedly speaks english and german. hardly a typical north korea

got to remember that kim jong il's father spent 20 years getting kim jong il ready to take over. m jong il has spent only two years in getting kim jong un ready and they have not had the time to solidify their base among the various elements of the regime. and that's why kim jong un is in such danger at this moment. >> in danger from people within his own country, right? for instance, there's one guy who has been described as the caretaker of the government while kim jong il has been in power though quite sick, particularly there at the end. and i understand the father has tried to minimize some of the people in his inner circle neutered them, effectively so they can't take over and the kid can. >> absolutely. the one who you referred to is the regent, his wife is kim jong il's sister. these two are supposed to protect kim jong un but he and his wife are detested by the military which is by far the most important element in the regime and the strongest in the country. and that really puts kim jong un in a difficult position because the people that were supposed to protect him are

kim il-sung, kim jong-il's father, won that position. when kim il-sung, he made it happen and had to bring in the military and buy off the mill tier make sure that transition went well. what is the role of the military today? i don't know. are there other powers, relatives who may want power? i don't know. the majority of analysts bet this is going to be fairly smooth but it's not going to happen overnight and there could be unexpected events that push things in a different direction. >> jim, always adding clarity to our coverage. thanks for being with us. thanks, jim walsh. >>> kim jong-il's death comes at a critic's moment in u.s.-north korean relations. joining you state department producer, elise lavage. you've been working the story all night, many of us have been. what has the reaction been from the state department? >> very muted, alina. basically the u.s. put out a muted statement saying it's seen the reports, going to be waiting and watching. obviously we heard president obama spoke to president lee bak in south korea, u.s. and s

we begin this hour with the death of kim jong il. late last night north korea dramatically announced his death and allowed a rare peek inside the secretive country. state-run newscasts showed citizens weeping and inconsolable. kim was revered in a nation that's often been described as a cult, but his almost cartoonish appearance belied a fearsome determination. his people starved while he developed nuclear weapons and amassed a huge military, always potentially ready to strike. the man likely to take over, his youngest son, kim jong eun is mostly unknown, mostly untrained for the job ahead of him and today the world is asking what happens next. i'm wolf blitzer in washington. we want to welcome our special -- our viewers through our special coverage of kim jong il's death. we're covering all the angles of this developing story. we have reporters across the world from beijing to the pentagon, to london, to the white house and beyond. instability in the region is a major worry right now. stan grant is in beijing and is joining us now li

poems and paintings have been used to idolize kim jong-il and his father, the late president kim il-sunge latest poem may be intended to stress that kim jong-un is a direct descendant of kim il-sung. this is a first report of the younger kim taking on diplomatic duties. the sudden death of the north korean leader is leaving many people wondering what happens next? nhk interviewed a former chef to kim jong-il and a south korean expert on north korean affairs. the former chef is kanzi fujumoto and told nhk that king kim jong-un has leadership ability and has shown charisma since he was a child. he said he worked as a chef for kim jong-il for 13 years until 2001. he said he was in close contact with his son between the ages of 7 and 18. he's sad the younger kim admitted that the north korean economy was lagging behind. >> translator: kim jong-un said, north korea has to follow the example of its neighbor china. he said china is promoting reform and open-door policy under the communist party leadership. >> fujimoto said kim jong-un was only 17 when he made these remarks. he said he thinks th

north korean television reporting their leader kim jong-il has died. don't have a lot of detail about cause of death. what we are finding out is on north korean television nonstop they are talking about the death of kim jong-il 69 years old. to talk to me more about this because geraldo is in kuwait right now. we had guests planned to talk about the situation of our troops in iraq. kt mcfarland kind of a national correspondent. she is a fox news contributor. this news breaking moments ago you and i talked about the air apparent. 20 something-year-old kim jong who could be moving in place now. not a whole lot of detail coming out. you are not surprised we would find out about this late in the night like this. >> the 27-year-old son has been the heir apparent. he doesn't have military experience or political experience. they will look to him there may be a potential power struggle with him. the young man the new leader will have to show his chops. he may feel he has to do something militant. this is the beginning of a succession issue that may go on the

kim jong-un only had one year. and in 1994 when kim jong-il succeeded in power, he was running affairs where kim jong-un has not been doing so. he might face difficulties in the process. >> that's is very short time. now, do you think he can control the military during his transition in power? >> well, kim jong-un has both position and title in north korean armed forces. he became a vice chairman of the central military commission in 2010. and at the same time he became a general of the north korean armed forces. so he is the leader. also he was, i think, involved in the decision making to attack south korean yeonpyuong island. and he must have been talking to other top leaders having discussions and so he must have acquired some experience in running military affairs and making decisions. and also, it was the attack on the island that was important for two ways. one, because north korea can claim in the future that it was a major, major achievement created by mr. kim jong-un. and and also to attack south korea. even if they tried to eliminate

of course, one of the mourners in chief will be kim jong il's third son, kim jong un. it is believed, because his official appointment as successor has not been confirmed, but all the indications coming from the north korean media are that kim jong un -- he is believed to be 27 or 28 years old. the exact date of his birth is not official knowledge. he will be the new leader. the sun in his late 20's becomes the third member of the kim dynasty to rule over this very secretive state. lucy williamson, our correspondent, is in the south korean capital, seoul. do we know how this day is going to end? his unofficial burial going to take place? yesterday, there was a three hour-long procession through the streets of p'yongyang. then we have this continuation today, thursday in north korea. >> he was laid to rest yesterday, next to his father. today is quite different. extraordinary pictures which i hope you are seeing now. a really impressive feat of human engineering, the able to get perhaps a million people together in the central square of p'yongyang for this last memorial

the united states has consulted its allies in east asia after the death of north korean leader kim jong il. south korea and japan say they are preparing for any unexpected security issues. for nearly two decades kim jong il ruled north korea. his son has been named as a successor. john simpson. >> this is the weird, reclusive figure who ran the most secretive country and did it as if it was his own private property. looking on is his son, who was around 28. he will takeover to regard -- takeover. the old leader died on saturday, but state television only announced its today. the news unleashed a storm of emotion. in north korea you have to mourn a leader as noiselessly as possible, especially if the cameras are on. if you are a member of the political elite, you may be a release sorry he is gone. no one knows what will happen to the nation now. kim jong il leaves behind a country that is appallingly court. this girl was filmed secretly while collecting grass to eat. in an orphanage in the southern part of the country, children are being treated for malnutrition. in the 1990's 3 million peo

he hasn't had time to grow into the role as kim jong il had. he had 20 years to prepare. kim jong un has had two years. take a look at the photograph we want to show you. last known picture of kim jong il we have there. behind him is kim jong un or kim the younger. two other people to be aware of. kim jong il's sister and her husband. two people very powerful. they could become involved in what may very well be a power struggle now, shep. >> shepard: all right, jonathan. thank you. jonathan will be chatting about this story in the rest of the day's headlines throughout the hour foxnews.com/shep click on the hunt link on the right-hand side page. he will be there to chat with you. north korea takes on the world. gordon cheng. gordon chang lived and worked in china and hong kong for almost two decades. he has briefed the cia, the state department, and the pentagon. is he a columnist for forbes.com and the daily, which is an ipad publication and is owned by the parent company of this network. help us process. this. >> there is is too much going on. kim jong un as jonathan poi

death. >> was the late kim jong il? we know that he was the son of a dictator -- who was the late kim jong il? we know that he was the son of a dictator. the facts on the reclusive kim are thin. >> kim jong il's life was shrouded in mystery. much of what is known was carefully spun by north korea's propaganda machine. it begins with the story of his birth. legend has it that kim was going in an anti-japanese guerrilla camp -- born in an anti-japanese guerrilla camp. official records show he was born in siberia. he was in his mid-30's when he was anointed as the successor to his father, but he did not inherit power until his father died in 1994. initially, he continued his father's policy of isolation. he presided over a devastating famine that killed an estimated 2 million people, refusing offers of international aid. later, he made tentative moves toward a fall in relations with the outside world -- thaw in relations with the outside world. in 2000, north and south korean families met for the first time since they were

kim jong-un is thought to be in his late 20s, his father's third son. while kim jong-ilad been a well-established member of his father's military team, kim jong-un is a virtual unknown. >> here you have a young man of 26 or 27 coming into power with this very important dynastic role to play. andthink he's not going to want to have anybody rock the boat. and i don't think he is going to rock the boat. >> reporter: what if some other faction in north korea decides to rock the boat? it's not yet clear how much kim jong-un commands respect among the military hard line. this is only the second time in history the hermit kingdom of north korea has had a transition of power. and now there are nuclear weapons in the mix. here in south korea, that is a source of fear and uncertainty. they don't yet know whether they can afford to be optimistic. whether this may finally be a turning point for the better. or whether someone, either the new leader or a potential rival, might lash out in order to prove a point. the devil they know has been replaced by one they don't and that's not mu

but kim jong-il has turned out to be mortal after all. kim's north korea was isolated and unpredictable and often seemed more like a cult than a country. at times, bizarre but also dangerous, impoverishing and enslaving his own people while arming himself with nuclear weapons and threatening to annihilate his neighbors. it was easy to poke fun at the paltry dictator with his buffon hairstyle, dark glasses and high heels. he was known to be a cognac-guzzling fan of hollywood with high heels and boots. >> i think some of his eccentricity was simply insecurity. he had a profound feeling of insecurity, and this is the fate of lone dictators. if you're alone on top of a dictatorship, you have power in your hands, you feel insecure, you feel that you might lose your power any day. >> reporter: diplomats who dealt with him describe kim as shrewd and calculating, well practiced at the use of threats and force to win concessions and aid, successfully fending off u.s.-led efforts to rein in his nuclear weapons program. >> i think he had to be a very

kim jong il's body is lying in a glass coffin. kim jong un bowed toward the coffin and walked alongside it. at one point during the system, he was accompanied by the country's number two official, kim yong nam. the korean people's army chief of staff was also there. north korean authorities apparently had kim jong un make an early public appearance to assure the people that the transition of power will be stable, and to get them to rally around him as their new leader. >>> now joining me in the studio is nhk's hiruki. >> why are these public displays and declarations by state media so important for kim jong un? >>> well it's very important to have the north korean people pledge their allegiance to him. we cannot say this transition is yet complete. i will explain using kim jong-il's family tree. the eldest son should succeed his father. korean tradition dictates the eldest son, kim jong nam should succeed his father. his oldest son was not seen as a favorite. he has lived overseas for many years and is said to be fluent in several

kim jong-un. lee has the same position as kim jong-un, as vice chairman of the central military commission. and actually he's 69 years old, the same age as kim jong-il. so he would be acting as kim jong-un's personal guardian. the other person, mr. jang song thaek is kim jong-un's uncle-in-law and he has positions both in politburo of the party and central military commission. so these two people will be there playing an important role. and another, there was interesting messages in the funeral. the first one is in the first part of the funeral, the silent music was played and message was that people were mourning kim jong-il's death. but toward the end of the funeral, there was another message that, you know, upbeat music was played. and there was a military march. and so the message was that a bright future was waiting for the north korean people under the rule of kim jong-un. >> okay. we'll get back to you in just a minute. >>> first, the view from elsewhere in asia, the ceremony was of particular interest of north korea's neighbors to the south. ann nagong is in seoul with that story. >> people in south korea have been keeping a close eye on the

away on saturday after suffering a heart attack kim jong il's youngest son kim jong un has reportedly been named his successor meanwhile as the news broke longstanding enemy south korea with its armed forces on high alert the government has declared the situation an emergency kim jong il's body is lying in state in the most name in the capital for funeral service on december twenty eighth until then the period of mourning has been declared in the country but he takes a look back now at the life of a man who became a symbol of the reclusive state. a mystery to the world what now for north korea with its leader kim jong il dong this massive military parade was held in two thousand and eight to mark north korea's sixtieth anniversary to kim jong il he wasn't there to greet the crowd that suggested he suffered a stroke in two thousand. three reports claimed kim jong il died of diabetes and had been replaced in public by stand ins hired previously as a security measure he never spoke to the media had a profound fear of flying and ate with special chopsticks which could detect poison rumors

kim jong il was an apprentice of his father, kim il-sung, for 70 years. im jong un has only been an apprentice of his father for more than a year. you think the military leadership in south korea will support him fully? >> you are right. at this moment, you look at the official obituary from the news station. you look at the letter of condolence sent by the chinese top leadership to p'yongyang. the message says, "under the leadership of kim jong un." the chinese government has already recognized his leadership. also of this moment, i do not think there could be any uncertainty about the loyalty of the military. but after this man is buried on december 28, when the official funeral is over, i think that is perhaps the beginning of a serious power struggle between the military and the young son there. >> how important is it that kim jong un, who has never visited the mainland, visit china and meet the leaders of china? >> i think it is very important if he wants to have the support of china. i would say the only and the most important ally for the democratic

many analysts are saying the death of kim jong il could be an opportunity, even though those talks could now be stalled. would you agree with that? >> i think there is a fair chance for the new leader, kim jong un, to restart six party talks. many analysts view this as a critical moment in launching the sixth party talks. there are strong incentives for the north to go back to the six party talks. if the leader refuses to do so, of course, there will be many economic problems. there are millions of people starving now. kim jong un already sent a clear message yesterday when he received the south korean delegation. he said they expect the government to resume the promises that were announced in 2008. this is a clear message than the north does want to go back to the six party talks. there are conditions the would have to be met and discussed before that could happen. >> many thanks for your time. it has been announced in argentina that president cristina fernandez has cancer and will have an operation next week. the argentine government says she has developed thyroid cancer, but it has no

terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. >> reporter: kim jong-il played a cat and mouse game with its nuclear program. kim called off talks with neighboring nations. some called him vain with a delusional persona, but others said kim jong-il was a clever manipulator, willing to take risks to preserve his family's regime. bruce hall, nbc news. >> there's not a lot of information out there about kim yong i will's thijong-il's thir. kim jong eun was made a four-star general. he may have gone to switzerland and is capable of speaking english, german, and french. at one point his eldest son was considered the top candidate to succeed his father. he was reportedly dismissed after he got cut trying to sneak into tokyo's disneyland using a fake passport. >>> the obama administration is keeping a close eye on north korea trying to keep signs of instability, lee myung-bak agreed to closely monitor events in the north. meanti meantime, the united states is concerned about any changes kim's death might spark in the military postures of north and south korea. >

tears from heaven for kim jong il. general, our general, the announcer weeps, where have you gone? this woman echoes the announcer, saying general, you can't go, you can't go. as the procession reaches the city's central kim il sung square, the wailing crowd is worked up into a frenzy. and the message of grief, for the dear leader is turned into a message of support for his son, who is surrounded by military advisers, including his uncle, the vice chairman of the national defense commission, believed to be the power behind the scene. the world will witness our march forward, the anchor says, we will defend kim jong un with our lives. thousands of soldiers stand in the square motionless, in perfect formation, a symbol of the collective. their heads bowed in a sign of respect. for dictator who kept such tight control of his country through his army, the carefully-choreographed funeral is also a show of military strength. sending the world a message, true or not, that the nation is united behind the new regime. >> so fasci

kim jong un. you know, kim jong il tried to show the public and the world that kim jong un was his chosen successor. north korea state-run media has urged people to rally behind him. the world is watching closely for signs of instability in the nation. there's been no official statement from the korean workers party on the country's official succession plan. but there has been, there have been clear indications that kim jong un will be in charge. japan and north korea's other neighboring countries are hoping for a smooth succession. because they don't want to see any turmoil in north korea. that would affect how all of northeast asia. prime minister noda has ordered his government agencies and ministries to find out what is really going on in the country. the japanese police and self-defense forces are on the alert just in case. >> what could happen if the transfer of power is not successful? >> well, one possibility is that the north korean military could make some kind of move to take power. kim jong un made his first official public appearance last year. but he still lacks authority. controlling

and we will follow the funeral of kim jong-il as well as issues close to home. lems in mcpherson square with occupy protesters. >> kim jong il funeral was held earlier today in north korea. we are also covering several big stories in our area. good morning, everybody. wednesday, december 28. i am kendis gibson. >> i am chris van cleve. we start with traffic and weather every 10 minutes. adam caskey is in the weather center. we saw ben eisner with earmuffs. is it that cold? >> it feels like the 30's. despite temperatures in the mid 40's this afternoon, the event will make it feel like the 30's all day. very gusty later on today particularly. 40 degrees in waldorf 41 in aldie, 40 and olney -- in olney. mid 40's this afternoon but it will feel like the 30's with gusts up to 40 miles an hour at times. temperatures will plummet into the twenties tonight. much cooler tomorrow morning than what we have right now. partly cloudy tomorrow afternoon. starting a warming trend tomorrow, a upper 40's. low to mid '50's by the weekend. very cold by tuesday. >>> we have a problem

the central news agency posted an article titled kim jong-il's philosophy and achievements will last forever. it also praises kim jong-un as an outstanding philosophical theorist who wins 100 victories in 100 battles in leading the country's revolution and construction. it says the young kim has made the north into an invincible global military power. the article adds that his philosophy embodies his father's ideas and will, and that he stands at the forefront of the socialist revolution. this is the first time that north korea state media has directly given tribute to kim jong-un. kim jong-il's body will lay in state at kumsusan memorial palace on tuesday. visitors can visit until december 27th. for more insight nhk spoke with former japanese deputy foreign minister tanaka. he was involved in negotiations with north korea for many years. tanaka met kim jong-il during

a mystery to the world what now for north korea with its leader kim jong il gone this massive military parade was held in two thousand and eight to mark north korea's sixtieth anniversary general kim jong il wasn't there to greet the crowd report suggested he suffered a stroke in two thousand and three reports claimed kim jong il died of diabetes and had been replaced in public by stand ins hired previously as a security measure he never spoke to the media had a profound fear of flying and ate with special chopsticks which could detect poison rumors have surrounded the so-called supreme leader throughout his life beginning with birth according to one source he was born in the soviet union in one nine hundred forty one during his father's exile or kim jong il's of fish. biography claims his birth was heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow. our people take part in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation. the leader of the democratic people's republic of korea since one nine hundred ninety four he succeeded his father kim il sung keep in kor