North Korea's 'Dear Leader' Kim Jong-il 'died in fit of rage over dam that had sprung a leak'

Reports claim Kim became violently angry after hearing that there was a leak at the power station in Huichon

Rob Williams
Monday 31 December 2012 13:13 GMT
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The reports claim that Kim became violently angry after hearing that there was a leak of water at the power station in Huichon, which is about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital.
The reports claim that Kim became violently angry after hearing that there was a leak of water at the power station in Huichon, which is about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital.

The late North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, died from a heart-attack brought on by a temper tantrum over sloppy work on a crucial power station, reports in a South Korean newspaper claim.

According to unnamed sources quoted in Chosun Ilbo, a conservative national newspaper, Kim Jong-il died in a fit of rage after being briefed about a leak at a hydro-electric power station.

The reports claim that Kim became violently angry after hearing that there was a leak of water at the power station in Huichon, which is about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital.

The newspaper quotes a source, who asked to remain anonymous, saying: "After being briefed about the leak, Kim Jong-il lambasted officials and ordered them to repair it

"He rushed to make an on-site inspection of the facility unable to contain his anger and died suddenly."

The source also told the paper that the problems with the Huichon plant were critical: “It wasn’t just a crack. The safety of the entire dam was in question,” they are quoted as saying.

The power station, which is located in Huichon, Jagang Province, was built to supply a significant proportion of Pyongyang's electricity and to ease the power shortage in the capital.

The project was considered key for Kim Jong-il with him paying making at least eight visits to the site since work started in 2009.

Hydro-power is so important in energy starved North Korea that the nation’s coat of arms even features a hydro plant.

The power station, which can 150,000 killowatts of electricity, was built in just three years, and has since its completion last April been acclaimed by the secretive administration as one of Kim's great achievements.

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