North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dies 'of heart attack'

blindbatblindbat Regular
edited December 2011 in Spurious Generalities
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16239693 check link for a video .
The BBC's Lucy Williamson says news of the death has taken people by surprise

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died of a heart attack at the age of 69, state media have announced.

Millions of North Koreans were "engulfed in indescribable sadness", the KCNA state news agency said, as people wept openly in Pyongyang.

KNCA described one of his sons, Kim Jong-un, as the "great successor" whom North Koreans should unite behind.

Pyongyang's neighbours are on alert amid fears of instability in the poor and isolated nuclear-armed nation.

Fears were compounded by unconfirmed reports from South Korean news agency Yonhap that the North had test-fired a missile off its eastern coast before the announcement of Kim Jong-il's death was made.

Unnamed government officials in Seoul were quoted as saying they did not believe the launch was linked to the announcement. The South Korean defence ministry has declined to comment.

Following news of Mr Kim's death, South Korea put its armed forces on high alert and said the country was on a crisis footing. Japan's government convened a special security meeting.

China - North Korea's closest ally and biggest trading partner - expressed shock at the news of his death and pledged to continue making "active contributions to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in this region".

Asian stock markets fell after the news was announced.

Crying aloud

Mr Kim's death was announced in an emotional statement on national television.

The announcer, wearing black, struggled to keep back the tears as she said he had died of physical and mental over-work.

The KCNA later reported that he had died of a "severe myocardial infarction along with a heart attack" at 08:30 local time on Saturday (23:30 GMT Friday).

He had been on a train at the time, for one of his "field guidance" tours, KCNA said.

The state news agency said a funeral would be held in Pyongyang on 28 December and Kim Jong-un would head the funeral committee. A period of national mourning has been declared from 17 to 29 December.

Images from inside the secretive state showed people in the streets of Pyongyang weeping at the news of his death.

Ruling party members in one North Korean county were shown by state TV banging tables and crying out loud, the AFP news agency reports.

"I can't believe it," a party member named as Kang Tae-Ho was quoted as saying. "How can he go like this? What are we supposed to do?"

Another, Hong Sun-Ok, said: "He tried so hard to make our lives much better and he just left like this."

KCNA said people were "convulsing with pain and despair" at their loss, but would unite behind his successor Kim Jong-un.

Comments

  • DfgDfg Admin
    edited December 2011
    Man he was a hero. I will miss him. RIP. I mean he was the greatest troll ever, the best that could ever exist. He trolled his Country, made everyone in it worship him and then he kept on going, what more could you ask for this. This guy is just awesome.
  • AnonymousAnonymous Regular
    edited December 2011
    RIP brother
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited December 2011
    One less asshole in the world.
  • chippychippy <b style="color:pink;">Global Moderator</b>
    edited December 2011
    Let's see how his son shapes up in the coming months.
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited December 2011
    This is going to be a catalyst for war.
  • chippychippy <b style="color:pink;">Global Moderator</b>
    edited December 2011
    It seems everyone on the international political scene is vying for position.
  • PacoPaco me administrator
    edited December 2011
    This is going to be a catalyst for war.

    This is very true.
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited December 2011
    My concern is that this little shit was raised in an environment of his father's BS propaganda. He may falsely believe the north to be more powerful than the south. If so he might be inclined to take aggressive military actions against the south. If this comes to pass the relations between the U.S. and China would become strained at best.
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