Kim had died on a train

When Kim disappeared from the public eye for several months in 2008, there were rumors that his health was failing and that he may have had a stroke. The next year, Kim and the North Korean political system reportedly made several measures toward naming Kim Jong-un as his successor.

On December 19, 2011, North Korean official media said that Kim had passed away two days prior on a train. The violent snowstorm that was "paused" during his death, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), "glowed red over the sacred Mount Paektu," and the ice on a famous lake likewise split with such a thunderous sound that it seemed to shake the Heavens and the Earth." In Pyongyang, Kim's funeral was held on December 28. A period of sorrow followed that day. Kim was referred to as the "everlasting leader" by North Korea on January 12, 2012, and it was reported that his body would be preserved and put on display at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Memorial Palace. The installation of statues, pictures, and "towers to his immortality" across the nation was also announced by officials. His birthday, February 16, was dubbed "the Day of the Shining Star" and deemed "the greatest auspicious celebration of the nation."