Kim Jong-il (Korean pronunciation: [ɡ̊imd͜zɔŋil]; 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as North Korea, from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK, Kim Il-sung, following the elder Kim's death in 1994. Kim Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, the fourth-largest standing army in the world.

In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him as the "supreme leader". The North Korean government announced his death on 19 December 2011, whereupon his third son, Kim Jong-un, was promoted to a senior position in the ruling Workers' Party and succeeded him.