Editing Kim Jong-il (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:Kim Jong-il painting.jpg|thumb|293x293px|A painting of Kim Jong-il at Mount Paektu, his alleged birthplace.]]
In keeping with the modern mythologies that pervade North Korea's version of history, which is seen as crucial to the cult of personality and political control, it is alleged that Kim Jong-il was born on Mount Paektu at his father's secret base in 1942 (his actual birth was in 1941 in the Soviet Union) and that his birth was heralded by a swallow, caused winter to change to spring, a star to illuminate the sky, and a double rainbow spontaneously appeared. These claims, like those surrounding his father, are apocryphal and continued throughout his life.

Starting in the early 1970s Kim Il-sung began to contemplate the succession question, albeit surreptitiously at first, but by 1975 Kim Jong-il was referred to as the "party center", or in connection with his father with references to "our great ''suryong'' (supreme leader) and the party center". In 1977, the first confirmation of Kim Jong-il's succession by name was published in a booklet which designated the younger Kim as the only heir to Kim Il-sung, that he was a loyal servant of his father and had inherited his father's virtues, and that all party members were to pledge their loyalty to Kim Jong-il. They were also urged to support his absolute authority and to obey him unconditionally.

Prior to 1996, Kim Jong-il forbade the erection of statues of himself and discouraged portraits. However, in 1996, schools were required to build a separate room for lectures dealing specifically with Kim Jong-il known as the Kim Jong-il Research Institute. They include a model of his birthplace. There are approximately 40,000 "research institutes" (total includes both Kim Il-sung's and Kim Jong-il's) throughout the country.

Between 1973 and 2012, Jong-il accumulated no fewer than 54 titles, most of which had little to do or nothing at all with real political or military accomplishments since he never had any military training. His most common title was "Dear Leader."

Over the course of his life, the government issued numerous propaganda reports of the great accomplishments achieved by Kim Jong-il, such as that he could walk and talk before the age of six months. The North Korean newspaper, ''Rodong Sinmun'', reported that an "unidentified French fashion expert" said of Kim's fashion, "Kim Jong-il mode, which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide, is something unprecedented in the world's history." The Korean Central News Agency has also reported, among other things, that according to eyewitness accounts "nature and the sky unfolded such mysterious ecstasy in celebration of the birthday of Kim Jong Il.

To commemorate Kim Jong-il's 46th birthday, Japanese botanist Kamo Mototeru cultivated a new perennial begonia named "Kimjongilia" (literally, "flower of Kim Jong-il").

Kim received numerous titles during his rule. In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him and his successors as the "supreme leader of the DPRK".
* Party Center of the WPK and Member, Central Committee of the WPK (1970s)
* Dear Leader (Chinaehaneun Jidoja) (late 1970s–1994)
* Member, Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK
* Secretary, Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (1974–1997)
* Presidium Member of the Politburo, WPK Central Committee (1980–2011)
* Supreme Commander, Korean People's Army (25 December 1991 – 17 December 2011)
* Marshal of the DPRK (1993–2011)
* Chairman, National Defence Commission of North Korea (1993–2011)
* Great Leader (Widehan Ryongdoja) (July 1994 – December 2011)
* General Secretary, Workers' Party of Korea (October 1997 – December 2011)
* Chairman, Central Military Commission (DPRK) (October 1997 – December 2011)
* Eternal Leader (posthumous) (January 2012 – present)
* Generalissimo of the DPRK (posthumous) (January 2012 – present)
* Eternal General Secretary, Worker's Party of Korea (posthumous) (11 April 2012 – present)
* Eternal Chairman of the National Defence of Commission (posthumous) (13 April 2012 – present)