THE LATE Kim Jong Il, who died on Saturday, was photographed countless times in his life – and official photographs released by the North Korean government were how the West was able to keep up with his activities.
The photographs often centred on the leader of North Korea visiting military barracks, speaking to political leaders, or giving his advice to others.
Some of the more mundane photographs even attracted fans through the blog Kim Jong Il Looking At Things, which showed the supreme leader looking at buildings, people and vegetables.
Older photos show him with his father, Kim Il Sung, and taking his first steps into his political career.
Here, we take a look at the life of Kim Jong Il in pictures, from childhood through to the last-known photographs taken of him in August, after he had reportedly suffered a stroke.
Jong Il died at the age of 69; his song, Kim Jong Un, is his heir apparent.
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