DPRK leader Kim Jong Il dies at age 69

DPRK leader Kim Jong Il has died. He was 69. The announcement was made by the DPRK state television. It said Kim Jong Il died on a train trip on Saturday and the causes were given as physical and mental over-work on his way to give "field guidance".

DPRK leader Kim Jong Il dies at age 69.

Kim was born in February of 1942. From 1964, he started to work for the DPRK's Korean Worker's Party central committee. In 1973, he was elected as General Secretary of the party. And the next year, he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Kim was also the chairman of the National Defense Commission.

He paid several unofficial visits to China this year. During these trips, he held talks with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top officials. The two sides reached important consensus on deepening business cooperation and strengthening strategic coordination.