or Kim Chong Il
born Feb. 16, 1941, Siberia, Russia, U.S.S.R.
Son of Kim Il-sung .
He was designated his father's successor in 1980 and became North Korea's de facto leader on his father's death in 1994. Known in North Korea as the Dear Leader, he makes few public appearances. After the onset of a severe famine (1995–98), he began to relax his country's extreme isolationism.