He was a well-known film buff

Kim increased the aura of mystery that already surrounded his father and himself while serving as the nation's leader. His personal life was the subject of conflicting rumors, the majority of which were unreliable and, maybe on purpose, served to heighten the mystery. Although the works remained essentially propagandist vehicles, it was known that Kim was interested in the arts and promoted greater originality in literature and movies. Kim, a well-known cinephile, ran a production company before becoming the head of state. It produced artwork honoring communist principles, Kim Il-self-reliance Sung's program for the country (Juche), and later Kim Jong-il's "military first" (sŏngun chŏngch’i) strategy.

Kim reportedly has more than 20,000 video tapes and DVDs in her collection. He loved Godzilla, Friday the 13th, Rambo, Hong Kong action movies, and anything with Elizabeth Taylor. To start the North Korean film industry in 1978, Kim gave the order to abduct South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choi Eun-hee. Ten years later, they allegedly broke free while visiting Austria, and since then, they have been given asylum in the United States.