Curious Facts about the Supreme Leader of North Korea who died on 17 December 2011

Kim Jong-il (Son of Kim Il-sung) the supreme leader of North Korea died on 17 December 2011. His son, Kim Jong-un, was announced as his successor.

Curious facts

Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.

Official biography also says that Kim learned to walk at the age of three weeks, and was talking at eight weeks. While at Kim Il Sung University, he apparently wrote 1,500 books over a period of three years, along with six full operas. According to the biography, all of his operas are "better than any in the history of music." Then there's his sporting prowess. In 1994, Pyongyang media reported that the first time Kim picked up a golf club, he shot a 38-under par round on North Korea's only golf course, including 11 holes-in-one.

He had fear of flying and preferred travel by train.  His death reportedly occurred during a train journey to a region outside of the capital, Pyongyang.

He kidnapped two South Korean film makers, film director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choi Eun-hee so they could build a North Korean film industry. A decade later, they reportedly escaped while on a trip to Austria, and have since been granted refuge in the United States.

It is reported that Kim's official biography on the North Korean state web site, which has since been taken down, claimed that Kim did not defecate.