In North Korea, life was incredibly different, and still is different, from life in America. The people of North Korea live in extreme poverty, while Kim Jong Il and all members of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea live as if they were kings; their meals filled with delicacies that North Korean citizens can only dream of. Although it seems strange to most in "normal" society, Kim Jong Il is worshiped as a God, because he was the one who gave them all the "luxuries" in North Korea. When in reality, he is solely responsible for North Korea's extreme poverty. Now, Kim Jong Il was not always the ruthless dictator that so many people around the world know, he was a harmless child like we all once were. He was born on February 16, 1941, but some official records indicate that he was born in 1942. Mystery shrouds Kim Jong Il's true birthplace; in North Korean records, he was born at the Paektusan secret camp in the Sobaeksu Valley, Samjiyon County, Ryanggang Province. Official North Korean biographers write that at Mount Paektusan, its "official" birthplace, "flashes of light and thunder, the iceberg in the pond of Mount Paektu made a mysterious sound as it broke, and a bright double rainbow arose,” signaling a new star in the heavens. It is more likely, however, that other records indicate his birthplace as Viatskoye, in the former Soviet Union, where his family had been exiled. It can be explained why North Korean records would give their great leader such an immaculate birth. Mount Paektu, the symbol of Korea, is known as a sacred mountain because in Korean mythology, it is where the "Son of the Lord of Heaven" descended and the first kingdom of Korea could begin. There is a reason for the extreme absurdity that I...... middle of paper...... nature. Rumors of Kim Jong Il's son succeeding him spread quickly, none of the three seemed overly capable or in very high favor with their father. On December 17, 2011, the dear leader of North Korea passed away due to cardiac arrest, leaving the people of North Korea to mourn and mourn heavily for their now deceased leader. Kim Jong Il's legacy is heavy to bear, but we don't really know much. about it in all honesty. His life began in secrecy and the rest of his life continued from there, never getting better. An extreme dictator who imposed obedience and love on all who lived in his kingdom may be seen as a vicious tyrant by all who were far from him, but in the eyes of North Koreans, he will always be their dear leader and his sons. and future grandsons will perpetuate the brutal regime that encompasses North Korea.