Dear Leader, Supreme Leader, Our Father, The General, Generalissimo: a man of many names, Kim Jong-il was among the most enigmatic, controlling and contradictory of the world's recent modern leaders.
1/ According to his official biographers, his birth in 1941 in Baekdu Mountain was apparently prophesied by a swallow and heralded with a double rainbow and a new star in the heavens.
2/ A near-obsessive film buff and a fan of Elizabeth Taylor in particular, he reportedly had a collection of 20,000 plus video tapes, with his all time favourites including Rambo and Godzilla.
3/ The dictator travelled by private train for state visits – a decision believed to be connected to his apparent fear of flying, a phobia he was believed to share with his father.
4/ His private train journeys were as luxurious as befitted a leader of North Korea, despite the millions left behind starving due to famine: one Russian emissary who traveled across Russia by train with Kim described how live lobsters were airlifted daily to his train.
5/ Kim ordered the kidnapping of Shin Sang-ok, the South Korean film director, and his actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, in 1978 in order to build up North Korea's film industry. They made seven films before escaping to the West in 1986.
(One can be seen here: PULGASARI)
6/ Kim apparently produced a patriotic 100-part documentary series on the history of his North Korean homeland as well as writing a book entitled On the Art of Cinema.
7/ Film was not his only passion: Kim also apparently composed six operas and enjoyed staging musicals, again according to his official biography.
8/ He was hailed as a demigod style guru in North Korea – although South Korea portrayed him as a vain playboy with a penchant for bouffant hair, jumpsuits and platform shoes designed to make him look taller.
9 / He reportedly spread the myth across North Korea that he could control the weather with his moods, as if by magic.
10/ There have been reports that he would refuse to consume anything not produced in North Korea – although he made an exception of French wine as reflected in the 10-000 strong collection of bottles in his cellar.
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