A giant statue of Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), communist leader of North Korea. The statue is the focal point of the Mansudae Grand Monument, and is located at Mansu Hill, Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. Twenty metres tall, it was built in 1972 to commemorate the leader's 60th birthday. Kim Il Sung led North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death, firstly as Prime Minister and later as President. According to legend, the statue was originally going to be 40 metres tall, but Kim Il Sung's modesty required it to be smaller.