The most common colloquial title given to Kim during his lifetime was "Dear Leader" to distinguish him from his father Kim Il Sung, the "Great Leader". Following Kim's failure to appear at important public events in 2008, foreign observers assumed that Kim had either fallen seriously ill or died.

Jan 27, 2015 · An astonishing exposé told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung’s escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is an “impossibly dramatic story…one of the best depictions yet of North Korea’s nightmare” (Publishers Weekly).

Kim Jong Il, the former leader of North Korea, received numerous titles during his rule. Despite his death in 2011, he is currently the Eternal Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Republic.

Dec 19, 2011 · By the early 1980s Kim Jong-il had established himself as a top party leader and his father’s heir apparent. He assumed the nickname “Dear Leader,” which can also be translated as “Beloved...

According to the North Korean constitution, the office of president requires elections, whereas the office of secretary-general does not. As for his other title, Kim had been known as “Dear Leader” since 1991, when his father appointed him supreme commander of the Korean People's Army. Now, he assumed his father's title, “Great Leader.”

Jan 29, 2025 · Dear Leader (plural Dear Leaders) (politics, ironic, derogatory) An authoritarian leader who demands unquestioning loyalty.

May 13, 2014 · An astonishing expose told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung's escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is a rare and unprecedented insight into the world's most secretive and repressive regime.

Oct 20, 2023 · Jang’s gripping narrative provides unique insights into the inner workings of the North Korean regime and the challenges he faced while escaping the country. In this review, we’ll explore the key...

An astonishing exposé told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung’s escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is an “impossibly dramatic story…one of the best depictions yet of North Korea’s nightmare” (Publishers Weekly).

The term "Dear Leader" is a title given to the supreme leader of North Korea, currently held by Kim Jong-un. This title is used to refer to the leader in a highly reverential and almost god-like manner, emphasizing their supposed infallibility and superiority over all other human beings.