Fried donkey, Daffy Duck and 8 other things that Kim Jong Il loved

On February 16, 1941 (or, according to the official biography, 1942), the Korean statesman, party and military figure Kim Jong Il was born. The leader of the state was called the Father of the People, the Iron Commander, the Center of the Nation. His birthday, by decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Labor Party, became a national holiday — the Day of the Shining Star. Kim Jong Il has repeatedly occupied the first position in the anti-rating of the world's worst dictators, created annually by the American magazine Parade based on information from human rights organizations.

What made the mysterious leader of North Korea smile? We bring to your attention 10 favorite things of Kim Jong Il — from the respectable to the unthinkable.

(10 photos in total)

Stylish platform shoes

The height of the leader of North Korea was only 1.57 m, so he wore platform shoes that added an additional 10 cm to his height. And with the help of an Elvis Presley hairstyle, he was taller than many women and children.

Giant rabbits

Kim had a delusional idea that raising giant rabbits would help his people cope with hunger. In 2006, he contacted Karl Smolinski, a leading livestock breeder from Germany, to get a dozen huge rabbits. Smolinski said that he tried to dissuade Kim from this idea, because each rabbit requires a huge amount of carrots and potatoes, and in exchange will give only 6 kg of meat. But Kim ordered furry friends anyway, and they were served at the celebration of one of his birthdays.

Directed by Shin San Ok and Rambo

Kinoman Kim adored movies and believed that they could shape a person's worldview. And to do that, he kidnapped South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok in 1978. Shin had been making films for Kim Jong Il for years before he escaped during a trip to Vienna in the mid-80s.

Kim also loved American films, particularly "Rambo" and "Friday the 13th," and has amassed a collection of more than 20,000 films. Among his favorites were James Bond films, although it is said that North Korea in the film "Die, but not now" infuriated Kim.

Lobster from a special tank on the train

Like many of Kim Jong Il's favorite things, lobsters were inaccessible to most North Koreans. But Kim ate them very often. His Japanese-built armored train had two lobster tanks, and if they ran out, they were delivered again and again.

Fried donkey

In 2001, Kim took a train to Moscow. According to the Russian ambassador who traveled with him, the leader's menu included a fried donkey every day. The ambassador also reported that Kim ate it with silver chopsticks.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton's political charm has spread even as far as Pyongyang. The former US president managed to convince Kim to abandon his nuclear program, at least for a short time, in exchange for food aid. Of course, peaceful relations between the two countries did not last long, but Clinton's power over Kim did not die completely. In 2009, Clinton organized the release of journalists Laura Ling and Lee Lee from prison in North Korea. How did he manage to convince the dictator? A few decades ago, when Kim's father died, Clinton was the first to comfort his grieving son. Apparently, Kim has not forgotten this.

Daffy Duck

Just imagine: Kim Jong Il in his khaki pantsuit in platform shoes is sitting at home and laughing at a cartoon about Daffy Duck. It seems unreal, but Kim was a big fan of Daffy Duck. He had not only a complete collection of cartoons about the black duckling, but also various things with its symbols.

Hennessy Cognac

When Kim Jong-il needed to keep warm on long cold evenings, he found salvation in a bottle of Hennessy. The dictator really loved this cognac: Kim was one of Hennessy's best customers. He spent up to $800,000 a year on his favorite drink before doctors banned him from drinking it in 1999.

Rare French red wines

Goodbye, Hennessy, hello, red wine! The fact that the doctors told Kim to stop drinking cognac did not stop him from drinking alcoholic beverages. He switched to rare wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy. As a result, more than 10,000 bottles gathered in his wine cellar. But in 2003, newspapers reported that Kim had to reduce his wine consumption to just half a bottle per evening.