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The life and times of Kim Jong-il
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, revered at home by a propaganda machine that turned him into a demi-God and vilified in the West as a temperamental tyrant with a nuclear arsenal, has died, state television reported.
Kim, who was 69 years old, died on Saturday, it said.
He was the unchallenged head of the reclusive state whose economy fell deeper into poverty during his years in power as he vexed the world by developing a nuclear arms program and an arsenal of missiles aimed to hit neighbours Japan and South Korea.
Kim had been portrayed as a criminal mastermind behind deadly bombings, a jovial dinner host, a comic buffoon in Hollywood movies and by the administration of former US president George W Bush as the ruler of "an outpost of tyranny".
He suffered a stroke in August but was thought to have recovered.
Known at home as "the Dear Leader", Kim took over North Korea in when his father and founder of the reclusive state Kim Il-sung, known as "the Great Leader", died.
Kim, famed for his bouffant hairdo, platform shoes and jump suits, slowly emerged from his father's shadows to become one of the world's most enigmatic leaders who put North Korea on the path of becoming a nuclear power.
His state was also frequently cited as a threat to global stability.
Early years
Despite being on the world stage longer than most world leaders, little was known about Kim.
He rarely spoke in public, almost never travelled abroad and has an official biography that is steeped in propaganda but lacking in concrete substance.
Kim had a host of titles in North Korea, but president was not one of them.
Kim Il-sung was given the posthumous title of president for eternity, while his son's most powerful posts included the chairman of the National Defence Commission, the real centre of power in North Korea, and Supreme Commander of the Korea People's Army.
North Korean propaganda said Kim J Deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was a complex, often brutal dictator who prioritised military might and his own comfort ahead of feeding his own people. He was also a man who seemed to radiate weirdness. Perhaps it was his style of dress, or his keen ability to look at things without smiling. Perhaps it was his claim to have invented the hamburger. Whatever the cause, there is no shortage of funny, bizarre and odd facts about Kim Jong Il floating around on the internet. Here are some of our favourites: He Was Born Under A Double Rainbow According to Kim Jong Il's official biography, he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain during North Korea's Japanese occupation and his arrival was prophesised by a double rainbow and marked by the sight of a new star and a swallow in the sky. Unfortunately the truth appears to be more mundane - according to Soviet records, Kim was born in the Siberian village of Vyatskoye in He Loved Waterslides Recently-taken satellite imagery of some of Kim Jong-Il's personal mansions (the Communist leader had at least 17) show that the leader made great efforts to build and maintain a series of ludicrously loopy waterslides. He Was Afraid Of Flying Kim Jong Il was reportedly terrified of flying and always travelled in armoured private trains - one of which he eventually died inside. His father, Kim Il-sung, was also afraid of flying. He Kidnapped Short People According to one of Kim Jong Il's former tutors, the leader used pamphlets advertising wonder-growth drugs to lure small people into traps, from where they would be deported to "uninhabited islands" to remove their "substandard" stock from the genepool. He Was The World's Greatest Sportsman According to national media, in Kim Jong Il shot a record-breaking round of golf in which he achieved 11 holes-in-one, and a total score of 38 - by far the greatest score in history. And it was his first try, having neve During his often oppressive reign over North Korea, Kim Jong Il cultivated a personal mythology that included some outlandish claims. Global Post compiled 10 bizarre bits of reported fact and propaganda from the life of "Dear Leader." 1. Divine birth Legend has it that a double rainbow and a glowing new star appeared in the heavens to herald the birth of Kim Jong Il, in , on North Korea's cherished Baekdu Mountain. Soviet records, however, indicate he was born in the Siberian village of Vyatskoye, in The people of North Korea, many of whom are reportedly battling famine, are apparently told that Kim's birthday is celebrated throughout the world. More from GlobalPost: Kim Jong Il dead; Asian anxiety reigns 2. Fear of flying Perhaps one of the reasons the North Korean leader was so reclusive was his fear of flying, which he inherited from his father, Kim Il Sung. Kim rarely traveled abroad, and when he did it was by train - once taking a luxury rail car all the way to Moscow. In August GlobalPost reported that Kim visited Russia for talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, in an effort to shore up support for a transfer of power to his third son Kim Jong Un. Kim's preference for rail travel is poignant because his death reportedly occurred during a train journey to a region outside of the capital, Pyongyang. Complete Coverage: The death of Kim Jong Il 3. Wanted to breed giant rabbits German media reported in that Kim hoped to solve the famine in his country by breeding giant rabbits. An east German farmer who bred rabbits the size of dogs was apparently asked by North Korea to help set up a big bunny farm to alleviate food shortages. To get things going, he sent a batch of 12 giant rabbits to North Korea, but was shocked to hear they were eaten at Kim's birthday ban .
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