Kim Jong Il, Top Hennessy Customer and 'Rambo' Enthusiast, Dies at 69

Leader's 20,000-Film Collection, Six Operas, 11 Holes-in-One Remembered by Grieving Nation

PYONGYANG — Kim Jong Il, the North Korean supreme leader who was Hennessy cognac's top global customer for over a decade and maintained a personal film library of more than 20,000 titles, has died. He was 69.

State television announced Monday that Kim had suffered a fatal heart attack two days earlier while traveling by train, his preferred method of transit owing to a lifelong fear of flying.

North Korean state media did not report his death until 51 hours after it occurred.

Officials confirmed that a fierce snowstorm had paused upon Kim's death, the sky had glowed red over the sacred Mount Paektu and ice on a famous lake had cracked so loudly it "shook the Heavens and the Earth." His birth in 1942 had been heralded by a double rainbow and a new star.

Kim spent an estimated US$700,000 annually on Hennessy Paradis cognac, a sum roughly equivalent to the combined yearly income of 800 North Korean citizens. His dedication to the brand made him its single largest customer worldwide, a distinction that outlasted several famines.

A devoted cinephile, Kim amassed a collection that reportedly included Friday the 13th, Rambo, all available Godzilla films and extensive Hong Kong action cinema. He considered Elizabeth Taylor one of the great actresses of her generation. His 1973 book, On the Art of Cinema, became required reading for North Korean directors, though his dissatisfaction with domestic talent eventually prompted more direct intervention.

In 1978, Kim ordered the kidnapping of South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee. The couple spent many years in labor camps before being deemed suitable for rehabilitation, after which they were compelled to produce films for the state. Their collaboration yielded Pulgasari, a communist-inflected Godzilla remake that Kim considered a personal triumph. The couple escaped during a 1986 trip to Vienna and were granted asylum in the US. Kim did not produce a sequel.

Beyond cinema, Kim was an accomplished golfer, composer and fashion icon. His official biography states that he wrote 1,500 books and six operas during his university years, all of which, state media noted, were "better than any in the history of music." In 1994, his first-ever round of golf produced a score of 38 under par, including 11 holes-in-one, a feat verified by the 17 bodyguards in attendance. He subsequently retired from the sport.

His khaki jumpsuits were reportedly the subject of international admiration. The state newspaper Rodong Sinmun quoted an unidentified French fashion expert as saying that "Kim Jong Il mode" was spreading worldwide — a phenomenon "unprecedented in the world's history."

Kim is survived by his son Kim Jong-un, who was named "Great Successor," "Father of the Nation," and "Supreme Leader" within hours of the death announcement. Citizens are expected to mourn through 29 Dec.

Authorities have prohibited hats, gloves and scarves during the mourning period, despite temperatures of minus 2 degrees Celsius, to ensure facial expressions remain visible for assessment. ■