The leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was Pol Pot. He served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea from 1960 until his death in 1998 and led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge orchestrated a radical transformation of Cambodian society, aiming to create a classless agrarian society. This regime is infamous for the Cambodian genocide, during which an estimated 1.7 million people died due to starvation, forced labor, and execution. Pol Pot's leadership left a profound mark on Cambodia, with lasting repercussions on its social and political landscape.