Kim Jong-il Death: 2011 & North Korea’s Secret

For 51 hours, the world remained unaware of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, a secret closely guarded by the nation’s elite. The news, revealed two days later through a special broadcast to North Korean citizens, sent shockwaves across the Korean Peninsula and raised geopolitical tensions.

Kim Jong-il’s Death and Succession

Few outside North Korea suspected anything was amiss until citizens were instructed to listen to a special broadcast. When the country’s newsreader Ri Chun-hee, known as the “pink lady” for her signature bright pink hanbok, appeared on television dressed in black, North Koreans understood the gravity of the situation.

Fighting back tears, Ri announced the death of the “Dear Leader.” Kim Jong-il died on December 17, 2011, while traveling by armored train – a preferred mode of transport due to his aversion to flying. Ri revealed he had suffered a massive heart attack attributed to “mental and physical strain” while on a guidance tour.

Images from the time showed widespread grief, with crowds weeping, beating their chests, and collapsing in mourning. Kim Jong-il was 70 years old and was posthumously declared Eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

Arise, the Great Successor

The secrecy surrounding Kim Jong-il’s death stemmed from the need to ensure a smooth transition of power. While his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, had been designated as the next leader, he had yet to establish himself. Anna Fifield, in her book The Great Successor, details the immense pressure faced by the then 27-year-old Kim Jong-un.

Fifield wrote that Kim Jong-un inherited the leadership of a totalitarian state and faced the challenge of asserting his authority over long-serving officials while simultaneously maintaining control over the population and navigating international skepticism. The North Korean elite had already begun preparing for Kim Jong-un’s succession as early as 2008, following his father’s stroke and resulting impaired movement.

Tensions High, Calls for Calm

The death of Kim Jong-il, a leader who many believe harbored a passion for filmmaking, prompted heightened alert levels in neighboring countries. Japan and South Korea placed their militaries on high alert, with Tokyo activating an emergency response team.

Kim Jong-il, who officially assumed leadership on October 8, 1997, was known for his diplomatic skills and established ties with the South. However, his domestic policies led to a devastating famine in the 1990s, resulting in an estimated 3 million deaths.

Australia’s then-foreign minister Kevin Rudd called for calm in the region, acknowledging the inherent difficulty in interpreting events within the secretive North Korean society. He stated that ambiguity and uncertainty were to be expected in the wake of the leadership change.

Rudd also suggested that Kim Jong-il’s death presented an opportunity for North Korea to engage with the international community, an opportunity that has yet to fully materialize 14 years later.