Many people have attempted to assassinate Spira over the years. In 2011, the North Koreans took sniper shots at Spira through the windows of the Briefing Room, but Spira was able to dodge the sniper fire with Matrix-like dexterity. Just to be safe, he hid in the office for 3 months and the North Koreans presumed they had succeeded. They even orchestrated an elaborate funeral procession in honor of his supposed death. The joke, however, was on them. Kim Jong Il died on December 17, 2011, just hours before Spira was seen sneaking across the South Korean border.