ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />North Koreans visited the statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il on Sunday (February 16) laying flowers in front of them to mark the birthday of Kim Jong-il.<br/> <br />In video footage provided to Reuters by North Korea state news agency, KCNA, people placed baskets and bouquets of flowers in front of the statues before bowing and leaving.<br/> <br />North Koreans are told that Kim Jong-il was born on February 16, 1942. February 16 is called the "Day of the Shining Star" and celebrated as a national holiday in North Korea.<br/> <br />However, Kim's official biography is not reliable and many Western scholars believe he was born a year earlier.<br/> <br />Kim Jong-il died of an apparent heart attack in December 2011 after ruling North Korea for 17 years.<br/> <br />His youngest son Kim Jong Un was named North Korea's "Great Successor" after his father's death.
