De facto head of state
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A de facto head of state is an office-holder who fulfills some, many, or all of the functions of a head of state. However, he or she is not considered a full head of state, but simply acts like a head of state in the absence of the state's legal and official, or de jure, head.
[edit] Deceased head of state
In the unusual case of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994, had created the Eternal President of the Republic. Subsequent rulers of North Korea, including Kim Jong-il, have technically been de facto heads of state.
