North Korea's Kim Jong-il angry over dam project before fatal heart attack

North Korea’s late leader lost his temper because of sloppy work on a crucial power station before he suffered a fatal heart attack a year ago, a South Korean newspaper said on Tuesday.

North Korea said Kim Jong-il had died aboard a train on December 17 from a heart attack brought on by pressure of work, but the exact cause has been veiled in mystery.

Chosun Ilbo, a conservative national newspaper, said Kim’s indignation might have caused his sudden death.

Kim was violently angry after belatedly finding out about a leak of water at the hydroelectric power station in Huichon, about 120 kilometres north of Pyongyang, it said.

“Kim Jong-il died suddenly while trying in haste to make a field inspection” of the power station, a source was quoted as saying.

The power station was a key construction project launched by Kim to ease the electricity shortage in the capital.