Charles Armstrong : He enjoyed film and the arts , fine food and drink , and kept late hours , but he was not the unstable and intellectually vacuous playboy of South Korean propaganda . Kim Jong Il 's life was so mysterious there was even doubt about birth year . Comment: Armstrong : Economics was one of Kim 's weaknesses , and North Korea suffered greatly . Performance of Kim 's son could decide the fate of North Korea 's dynasty .
Charles Armstrong : Kim Jong Il 's life was so mysterious there was even doubt about birth year . Comment: Armstrong : Economics was one of Kim 's weaknesses , and North Korea suffered greatly . Performance of Kim 's son could decide the fate of North Korea 's dynasty .