North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, who has ruled the country of North Korea with an iron fist since the death of his father in 1994, has died of an unspecified heart condition, state-run media in North Korea is reporting. He was 69 and was believed to suffer from diabetes. He was riding a train at the time of his death.

The governments of Japan and South Korea have ordered workers and military personnel on high alert in anticipation of what will come next. We will soon witness the first transfer of power in North Korea in more than 17 years, and Kim’s likely successor — Kim Jong-un — is relatively unknown.

The now-late Kim suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared to have recovered well. He inherited the communist country’s leadership role in 1994 following the death of his father, and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-Sung. The country has suffered greatly under the Kim dynasty, with millions dead of starvation, reported hundreds of thousands in concentration camps, and all but the most elite living under Orwellian dictatorial policies.

Update: President Obama has been notified and is in contact with regional allies, the White House says.

Kim’s successor is less than 30 years of age and has only been groomed for leadership for just over a year. By comparison, Kim Jong-il spent about 20 years preparing to take control from his father. Worse yet, it’s not exactly clear who is running the country at the moment.