Kim Jong Il of North Korea is Dead

Kim Jong Il (birthname: Yuri Irsenovich), the supreme leader of People's Republic of Korea, has reportedly died on December 17 according to the state television of Pyongyang on Monday. He was 69.

The presenter announced that Kim Jong Il had died two days earlier of a heart attack while travelling via train to an area outside Pyongyang. His son, Kim Jong-un, was announced as his successor in the same broadcast.



South Korea's military was immediately put on alert after the announcement and its National Security Council convened for an emergency meeting, out of concern that political jockeying in North Korea could destabilize the region. Asian stock markets fell soon after the announcement, due to similar concerns.