Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Sat, May 26, 2012
Archive Search

World on Edge as N. Korea Bloods Successor to Kim
December 20, 2011

Share This Page
3
1
0
2
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

isahbiazhar
6:13am Dec 20, 2011

This is the opportunity for China and America to bring in freedom for the North Koreans.When many dictators are toppled this will not be difficult to execute.Suppressing the whole country just to suit the needs of an unelected leader looks very stupid in the eyes of those who enjoy the freedom of expression and the freedom of movement.North Koreans should rise and demand peacefully or go about in the opposite direction till they achieve that.

Serigala-Berbulu-Domba
4:20am Dec 20, 2011

One can but imagine the flood of tears being shed by the fashion world at the loss of Kim Jong-il, a fashion icon if ever there was one!

  • Previous
  • 1
  • Next

Pyongyang. North Koreans marched by the thousands on Monday to their capital’s landmarks to mourn Kim Jong-il, many crying uncontrollably and flailing their arms in grief over the death of the “Dear Leader.”

North Korean state media proclaimed his 20-something son Kim Jong-un a “great successor,” while a vigilant world watched for any signs of a turbulent transition to the untested leader in a unpredictable nation known to be pursuing nuclear weapons.

South Korea’s military went on high alert in the face of North Korea’s 1.2 million-strong armed forces following news of Kim’s death after 17 years in power.

He died of heart failure on Saturday at age 69 while reportedly carrying out official duties.

US President Barack Obama spoke with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak by phone, and agreed they should closely monitor all developments.

On the streets of Pyongyang, people wailed in grief, some kneeling on the ground or bowing repeatedly.
Children and adults laid flowers at key memorials.

Other North Koreans walked in line past a giant painting of Kim Jong-il and his late father, national founder Kim Il-sung, standing together on Mount Paektu, Kim Jong-il’s official birthplace. Wreaths were neatly placed below the painting.

“How could the heavens be so cruel? Please come back, general. We cannot believe you’re gone,” Hong Son-ok shouted in an interview with North Korea’s official television station as her body shook wildly.

“He passed away too suddenly to our profound regret,” said a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

“The heart of Kim Jong-il stopped beating, but his noble and august name and benevolent image will always be remembered by our army and people.”

North Korean state media fell short of calling Kim Jong-un the  next leader, but gave clear indications that the third son of Kim Jong-il would succeed his father.

The death could set back efforts by the United States and others to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, because the untested successor may seek to avoid any perceived weakness as he moves to consolidate control.

“The situation could become extremely volatile. What the North Korean military does in the next 24 to 48 hours will be decisive,” said Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has made several high-profile visits to North Korea.

The death comes at a sensitive time for North Korea as it prepares for next year’s 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung.

The preparations include massive construction projects throughout the city as part of Kim Jong-il’s unfulfilled promise to bring prosperity to his people.

The North said it would place Kim’s body in the Kumsusan memorial palace in Pyongyang, and that his funeral would be Dec. 28. No entertainment will be allowed during an 11-day mourning period, and the country will accept no “foreign delegations hoping to express condolences,” it said.

Associated Press