Kim Jong-il died Saturday, death disclosed two days later

It was reported on Monday that Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s supreme commander, had passed away in Pyongyang at the age of 69. He died of a heart attack.

Kim Jong-il had been North Korea’s dictator for a very long time; he’d served the nation for almost two decades.

Interestingly, Kim Jong-il passed away on Saturday, but the news was officially disclosed on Monday by North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency. The dictator died of an apparent heart attack during a train ride. The agency reported that he couldn't be saved despite the use of "every possible first-aid measure."

The nation is apparently mourning. One of the official news reports says that he died "dedicating his life to the people."

Kim suffered "great mental and physical strain" while on a train during a "field guidance tour,” the KCNA announcer added.

It is said that he had a history of diseases including pancreatic cancer, diabetes mellitus and stroke and was believed to have been on dialysis in the days leading up to his death. He had been treated for "cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long period.”

He was denounced by almost all democracies, especially by the west. President George W. Bush once called him a "pygmy. However, some people from the west had expressed their surprise over him being a serious and knowledgeable person after meeting him.

What will become of North Korea’s nuclear program after him remains a mystery for the world as well as the nation.

His funeral will be held on December 28.