Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il (16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician and dictator who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994 until his own death in 2011. Posthumously, Kim Jong Il was declared an eternal leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). He faced economic struggles and famine during his leadership, which led him to amend the country’s isolationist policies. Despite efforts to improve international ties, North Korea's nuclear ambitions remained a point of contention, especially with the United States. Kim Jong Il reinforced the Kim dynasty's ideology and maintained North Korea's reputation as a 'hermit kingdom' during his leadership.