Kim Jŏng-Il
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Kim Jŏng-Il(김정일; 金正日) (born February 16, 1941) has been the leader of North Korea since his father's death in 1994. He is the son of Kim Il-Sŏng. Official North Korean propaganda says he was born on Mount Paektu (a holy mountain in Korea), but most historians think that he was actually born in the Soviet Union. Many people outside of North Korea believe he is an evil dictator who oppresses the people of his country. Inside North Korea, it is the law no one can try to replace him as leader of the country. He is sometimes referred to as the "Dear Leader", but this is not an official title. Many people in North Korea have been imprisoned or killed for speaking out against the Kim regime. Almost everyone in North Korea wears a small pin with a picture of Kim Jŏng-Il or Kim Il-Sŏng on it.
[edit] Personal Life
Kim is a Stalinist who also believes in the North Korean Communist philosophy of Juche (self-reliance). He is afraid to travel on aeroplanes and travels only on trains. He is famous all over the world for his love of cinema and luxury goods, especially caviar and Hennessey brand cognac, even though North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world. Former United States Secretary of State Madeline Albright once gave Kim a present of a basketball autographed by Michael Jordan when she visited North Korea because Kim is a fan of the National Basketball Association and of Jordan.
