Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong-il is the current ruler of North Korea. He began his rule of the country in 1994. Although rumors of his death had circulated since an alleged stroke in August of 2008, the "Dear Leader," as he is known in the country, is still alive. Jong-il and his government have been accused of enriching uranium to create nuclear weapons since 2002.http://www.biography.com/articles/Kim-Jong-Il-201050?part=3

These accusations occurred after a treaty between the U.S. and North Korea signed in 1994 which prompted North Korea to freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear weapons program. During his time in office, President George W. Bush counted Jong-il's North Korea among the "axis of evil", with Afghanistan and Iraq.http://www.biography.com/articles/Kim-Jong-Il-201050?part=3

On July 13, 2009, intelligence sources in South Korea and China reported that Kim Jong-il had pancreatic cancer. In the following months, Kim Jong-il appeared frail and weak. It is believed that his son Kim Jong-un will succeed him.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/13/kim.jong.il.ill/index.html In November of 2010, North Korea fired an artillery barrage at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in response to their military presence being so close to the border between the two nations.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/23/north-korea-bombs-south-k_n_787532.html

The exact details of Kim Jong-Il's biography are a matter of debate between the official record as presented by North Korea, and research conducted by various historians around the world. When his father, Kim Il-Sung died in 1994, the deceased leader was granted the title of "Eternal President," and the office of president in North Korea was effectively abolished. Kim Jong-Il was promoted to Chairman of the National Defense Commission, which was declared to be the highest active position of the state.http://www.biography.com/articles/Kim-Jong-Il-201050?part=2

With the loss of the Soviet Union and China as major trade partners and as a result of nation-wide natural disasters, North Korea's economy nearly collapsed in the 1990s. In response, Kim Jong-Il implemented a "military first" policy and introduced economic reforms.http://www.biography.com/articles/Kim-Jong-Il-201050?part=3

• 1960: Attended Kim Il Sung University, studied Marxist political economy
• 1961: Joins the Workers' Party of Korea
• 1974: Officially designated successor to his father, Kim Il Sung
• 1980: Receives senior postings in the Politburo, Military Commission and Secretariat
• 1991: Named the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army
• 1994: Kim Il Sung dies, Jong-il succeeds him
• 2000: Met with South Korean president for diplomatic talks to improve trade and relations
• 2002: North Korea suspected of enriching uranium under guidance of Jong-il
• 2006: North Korean Central News Agency announced a successful underground test of a nuclear bomb
• 2008: Rumors of Jong-il suffering from a stroke surfacehttp://www.biography.com/articles/Kim-Jong-Il-201050?part=4

In 2008, rumors circulated regarding Kim Jong-Il's status, some of which claim that he had been been assassinated, or disabled by illness.

On May 28, it was reported by South Korean media that Kim Jong-Il had been assassinated outside Pyongyang two days earlier. The report was based on information provided by unidentified informants from China and South Korea. The government and state controlled media of North Korea denied the report from the beginning. On May 29, 2008, the government of South Korea issued an official statement denying the report.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awztD3VOSsQk&refer=home

On September 9, Kim Jong Il failed to attend the 60th Anniversary celebration of North Korea's founding, fueling speculation that he had been incapacitated by illness. According to U.S. intelligence, Kim may have suffered a stroke.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aLaNgX4.e8ew&refer=asia

After rumors of his death, Kim made his first public appearance at a soccer game between the Universities of Sung and Pyongyang at the beginning of October. North Korean officials deny the rumors of a stroke.Breitbart.com: NKroean Leader Makes an Appearance (October 4, 2008)

In late October, a Japanese film crew captured Kim Jong Il's son Kim Jong-Nam on film visiting a brain surgeon in Paris. A few days after the visit, cameras caught a French physician apparently bound for Beijing. The doctor did not deny that Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, was his final destination.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5021218.ece