Kim Jong Il, North Korean leader, dead at 69

    North Korea will get a new leader, but it’s not yet clear who.

    It was announced today that leader Kim Jong Il died Saturday of heart failure on a train at age 69. He took over the country’s leadership in 1994, and during his reign dealt with an economic collapse and subsequent famine. North Korea want on to land a spot on America’s “Axis of Evil” list in 2006.

    Kim Jong Il wanted his son, Kim Jong Un, to be his successor.

     

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    You can listen and read about more on Kim Jong Il’s life at NPR.org.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal