Kim Jong Il dead at 69

Pyongyang - Kim Jong Il was the leader of the exceedingly reclusive North Korean government, and he has died at the age of 69, reports the official state television outlet.

Kim Jong Il; February 16, 1942 - December 17, 2011 The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il has died at the age of 69 as reported by both Fox and AP news sources . Kim's health had been a subject of discussion for the past couple of years with speculation of both cancer , heart trouble and his diabetic condition being posited as the cause of his sudden weight loss beginning in 2008. The heir apparent who had recently been chosen is Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Un is the youngest of three sons and had been appointed by his father to high posts in both the military and Politburo. Kim Jong Ill first took power in 1994 and retained an iron-fisted grip on the country during his tenure being known as Dear Leader by his countrymen. The early life of Kim Jong Il is shrouded in either mystery or lies, depending on the viewpoint of those who discuss it. The birthplace of Kim Jong Il isn't even known for certain, since the official story linbe has him being born in a secret camp manned by rebel fighters, while analysts have posited that he was actually born in the Soviet Union during a period of time when his father Lim Il Sung was getting military training. The most controversial achievement of Kim Jon Il may arguably have been the production of nuclear weapons for North Korea. With many of the surrounding nations nervously keeping watch on the developments of the weaponization of those devices, along with the concurrent development of missile programs, with which Kim may have been interested in exerting greater force in the region. The nuclear program began as early as 1989 when North Korea lost the economic and security sponsorship of what is now the former Soviet Union. From the beginning, and even until now, the existence of the nuclear weapon program is one of concern for all of the nations in the area.