Also known as Dear Leader and Supreme Leader, died according to North Korean state television.
via CBS/AP:
Kim’s death was announced Monday by the state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The leader, reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
He has already designated his son, Kim Jong-un, as his heir apparent. The Dear Leader took over the reigns in North Korea sometime between 1992 and 1994 after the death of his father, Kim Il-sung, who had ruled the country for 46 years.
Things just got more interesting.
I’ll do some updates, but not many. Feel free to keep everyone informed in the comments.
Updates: Follow Yonhap News Agency (South Korea) on Twitter or its website for best information of what is developing. These are the types of tweets that send chills up my spine:
- (URGENT) S. Korean military declares emergency alert following death of Kim Jong-il
- (URGENT) S. Korean gov’t shifts to emergency footing on news of N.K. leader’s death
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Comments
Wow. Yeah. Gonna miss him. *ahem*
I suddenly feel the urge to watch Team America for the millionth time.
The highlight of his reign was the brilliant idea to send a mini sub to Japan -go on shore & kidnap some pic -nicers. Then to take them back to NK for about 25 years.
No Japanese Game show could ever better that.
I once was privy to the application papers for the complete North Korean Embassy Defections in Canberra. The defectors were downstairs & the papers handed to me to compile & /prepare as a matter of urgency. I got to read every bit of info & it was completely boring. They had no secrets to trade or anything.I suspect they were robots .
Anyhow they got heir wish & later one became an assistant at a local hair salon.
The End.
The mortal god is dead. Long live the mortal god.
So has Obama made a speech claiming credit yet?
Those updates look ominous. I hope that whatever replaces him isn’t worse.
It must have been Hans Blix breaking his …
On a lighter (or darker) note, commenter ‘andycanuck’ over at SDA ‘Reader Tips’ typed tonight:
‘…, both North Korea and the U.S. now have presidents who are privileged slackers who’ve never done a real day’s work in their lives.’
Ouch!
.
I am glad I am not in South Korea right now. The NORK loons are capable of anything.
What do you suppose Kim and Hitch are discussing tonight?
South Koreans can be loons also. I was on the receiving end of their vitriol after KAL007 or whatever that plane was that went into USSR airspace & got shot down. They were clearly at fault & an obvious pimping mission which backfired.
Man – I almost never got out of the USSR. My thanks to the autocratic Singapore govt that greeted my Aeroflot plane with armed protection & escorted us through vicious riled up crowds that fell for SK propaganda.
Not surprisingly SK had further mysterious plane crashes soon after.
But nice food & strange but friendly pople.
The Soviets shot down a civilian airliner and you claim it was the South Korean’s fault?
The Politburo must love you…
hilariously evil to the end, the official cause of his death is “mental and physical overwork”.
I’m not sure why the tweet sends chills up your spine. The South Koreans declare emergency alerts frequently. Our troops are right there; been there, done that. North Korea’s army could come across the DMZ anytime, but they would pay hell for it.
“What do you suppose Kim and Hitch are discussing tonight?”
I don’t know if Hitchens is around where Kim Jong is but I’ll bet Kim is thinking I’d give my soul for a cold drink of water right now” not remembering he sold that item years ago.
I doubt NK wil invade SK. Their soldies might not return to the motherland once escape is in sight.
So lets say this gets progressively worse and 18 months from now it hits the proverbial fan. Who do we want in our corner representing us in the Conference of Five, or two or three or whatever when nations get together and decide what to do? Obama? Newt? Romney? Paul?
Well, what a day…we have the weekend off and I haven’t been watching any TV. Just wanting to get through Monday, because it is my last day at the Singapore office, and tonight I will be heading to Changi airport…going to fly to Narita in the morning, and then…off to my next office…. South Korea.
What a day to be switching offices.
DocWahala’s Fortune Cookie for the Day:
“To Be Continued”
now would be the perfect opportunity for South Korea to invade North Korea and take over totally.
….there dear leader is no more…. Bwahahahahaha…
It seems the kid is a docile homosexual who was so totally dominated by his father that he would rather stay home and play with his toys than become involved in politics.
This is going to be interesting, huh?
The world’s greatest golfer dies and all you guys can talk about is politics.