Son feted as North Korea mourns

Indicating that the leadership transition in the world’s only communist dynasty is on track, Kim Jong-un – Kim’s youngest known son and successor – visited the body with top military and Workers’ Party officials and held what state media called a “solemn ceremony” in the capital, Pyongyang, as the country mourned.

Still images aired on state TV showed the glass coffin holding Kim’s body surrounded by his namesake flowers – red “kimjongilia” blossoms. He was covered with a red blanket, his head placed on a white pillow.

The coffin was presented in a room of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, a mausoleum where the embalmed body of his father – national founder Kim il-Sung – has been on display in a glass sarcophagus since his death in 1994.

Kim Jong-un entered the room to view his father as solemn music played. He observed a moment of silence, and then circled the bier, followed by other officials.

Kim Jong-il died of a massive heart attack on Saturday caused by overwork and stress, according to the North’s media. He was 69 – though some experts question the official accounts of his birth date and location.

Although there were no signs of unrest or discord in Pyongyang’s sombre streets, Kim’s death and the possibility of a power struggle in a country pursuing nuclear weapons and known for its secrecy and unpredictably have heightened tensions in the region.

With the country in an 11-day period of official mourning, flags were flown at half-staff at all military units, factories, businesses, farms and public buildings.

The streets of Pyongyang were quiet, but throngs of people gathered at landmarks honouring Kim, video footage from Pyongyang showed. The state funeral is to be held at the Kamsusan Memorial Palace next Wednesday.

North Korean officials said they would not invite foreign delegations and no entertainment would be allowed during the mourning period.

North Korean state media have given clear indications that Kim Jong-un will succeed his father.

The Korean Central News Agency described Kim Jong-un yesterday as “a great person born of heaven”, a propaganda term previously used only for his father and grandfather. The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, added in an editorial that Kim Jong-un is “the spiritual pillar and the lighthouse of hope” for the military and the people.

But concerns remain over whether the transition will be a smooth one.

Soon after the death was announced on Monday, US President Barack Obama agreed by phone with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to closely monitor developments. Japan’s government also said it was being vigilant for any “unexpected developments”.

South Korea’s military was put on high alert, and experts warned that the next few days could be a crucial turning point for the North, which though impoverished by economic mismanagement and repeated famine, has a relatively well-supported, 1.2 million-strong army.

South Korea offered condolences to the North Korean people, but the government said no official delegation would be travelling from Seoul to Pyongyang to pay their respects.

Kim’s death could set back efforts by the US and others to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions. Concerns are also high that Kim Jong-un – being young and largely untested – may feel he needs to prove himself by precipitating a crisis or displaying his swagger on the international stage. North Korea conducted at least one short-range missile test on Monday, South Korean officials said, but they saw it as a routine drill.