North Korea 'Test Fires Missile' After Kim's Death

North Korea has reportedly conducted a short-range missile test - just hours after it revealed leader Kim Jong-il had died of heart failure aged 69.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted unidentified government officials as saying the missile was fired off the peninsula's east coast.

It comes on the same day the North announced via state TV that Kim, who ruled for 17 years and tormented the West with his nuclear weapons testing, died on Saturday.

People in the country's capital Pyongyang wept openly in the streets, while the rest of the world called for calm and South Korea put its military on high alert.

The so-called "hermit kingdom" will now be led by Kim's youngest son, Jong-un, who is aged in his 20s, was educated in Europe and is said to speak several languages.

In recent months he had accompanied his father on trips around the impoverished nation after being named as successor in September 2010.

But the late Kim's long pursuit of nuclear weapons and the military's repeated threats to South Korea and the US have stoked fears that war could again break out.

Military officials in South Korea said they could not confirm the missile test report - but MPs had earlier been called to a national security council meeting following the news of Kim's death.

Even with a new leader in place, there have been some fears of a behind-the-scenes power struggle within the military.

News correspondent Holly Williams, who has visited North Korea several times, said: "Kim Jong-un has been announced by state media as 'The Great Successor'.

"But the questions is, will he be able to hang onto that power with the iron grip that his father had?"

The North's official news agency said the country, people and military "must faithfully revere respectable comrade Kim Jong-un.

"We have to change sadness to strength and courage and overcome today's difficulties," it said.

In a special broadcast from the capital Pyongyang, state television said the man known as the 'Dear Leader' died while travelling on a private train.

It added that he died of heart failure due to "great mental and physical strain" during a "high intensity field inspection".

Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared relatively vigorous in video and photos from recent trips carefully documented by the country's media.

The man who reportedly had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine was also said to have suffered from diabetes and heart disease.

"It is the biggest loss for the party... and it is our people and nation's biggest sadness," said a weeping state TV presenter.

China, Pyongyang's key ally, said in a statement it was shocked by news of Kim's death and sends its "sincere regards" to the North Korean people.

The White House said in a statement: "The president has been notified and we are in close touch with our allies in South Korea and Japan.

"We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies."

The late Kim took over North Korea in 1994 when his father and founder of the reclusive state Kim Il Sung, known as "the Great Leader", died.

Famed for his bouffant hairstyle, platform shoes and matching khaki shirts and trousers, Kim slowly emerged from his father's shadow to become one of the world's most enigmatic leaders.

Kim has been portrayed as a criminal mastermind behind deadly bombings, a jovial dinner host, a comic buffoon in Hollywood movies and by the administration of former US president George W Bush as the ruler of "an outpost of tyranny".

He continued his father's policy of "military first", devoting much of the country's scarce resources to its troops - even as his people faced famine and drought.

It is thought hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of North Koreans have died from starvation.

North Korean legend has it that Kim was born in 1942 on Mount Paekdu, one of the country's most cherished sites, a birth apparently heralded in the heavens by a pair of rainbows and a brilliant new star.

However, Soviet records indicate he was born in Siberia in 1941.

State TV said Kim's body will be placed in the Kumsusan memorial palace in Pyongyang and his funeral held on December 28.

Not much is known about his son's character but it is believed he has avoided Western influences despite receiving an education in Switzerland.

Kim's eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, aged in his late 30s, is believed to have fallen out of favour after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Disney's Tokyo resort.

Very little is known about his other son, Kim Jong-chul, who is also aged in his 20s.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• North Korea
• Kim Jong-chul
• Test Fires Missile
• Death
• Kim Jong-nam
• short-range missile
• Yonhap news
• Pyongyang

[steliosslkds]

BETTER A DICTATOR THAN A TRAITOR LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE IN GREECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[salfordianthe]

@steliosslkds You kept voting Socialists into power so knew you were living on other peoples money, Socialism never works

[666tnad]

@salfordianthe did you live in a comunistic country ?? if not than why do you say it never works

[salfordianthe]

@666tnad I don't know what a "comunistic" is, if you mean Communist then I know it doesn't work because there are no successful Communist or Socialist countries. They don't create anything themselves either because there is no incentive, they have and always will copy from otherd

[salfordianthe]

@ulived1969 LOL his followers don't blow themselves and others up like Muslims do on a daily basis

[salfordianthe]

@pangpesbuk2 Go shag a goat you backward Muslim c#nt

[SkolisseDK]

@salfordianthe china works *cough*

[iganduyan07]

@salfordianthe actually it works when capitalists don't bother them, it has to be applied to the whole world, it can't be an island

[Shamster607studios]

NK keeps asking SK for food such as rice and so on. But the minute they receive it, they sell it off and use money for, ... That's right, weapons!! Kim is not caring for the young population of his nation, he only cares for army power and perhaps world domination. I hope his son does better.....

[steliosslkds]

d@TRoSaundersHomestead well my dear friend he did step down for a goldmann sachs employee to take in charge............as for him.........papandreoy ....they did bet on Greek default........ he and his brother...hey say they earned 28 billion euros with this case...PS nice to see a thinging person beyond the nationalistic crap which is common now days around the net.........................

[TRoSaundersHomestead]

@steliosslkds The EU thought that George Papandreou was too democratic by holding a referendum. The EU then forced him to step down and put someone from the EU in charge. How democratic.

PS. I agree with your comment entirely.

[mardi06]

All the people "wailing" and not one tear. If they didn't show grief they'd end up in a work camp someplace. These people are starving to death yet the NK Government keeps building up their Army. These poor people are brainwashed and oppressed.

[JwVanC]

Did he brain wash the nation?

[katsarosfiat]

@steliosslkds paparies

[1thetkdmaster]

KIM JONG ILL that was so sad u made a rule to make all of the children starve of food and water!! Why cheep commi

[gamer4life789]

@MrRockingjohnny dude i was talking in speaking of the dictator ship there i know the history of the war in koreans and because of china there is now a north korea

that china helped north korea when it was almost defeated by the americans uhm china russia dont have more nukes than the us all country's in europa have nukse even we in the netherlands

[shadowmare97]

@salfordianthe Switzerland and Canada both have strong socialist properties and are both among the top 10 countries in the world to live, actually.

[MrRockingjohnny]

@gamer4life789 i dont know where your from bro, but im born n raised us. we launch one nuke anywhere near them we r fucked. the koreans russia china.. all have more nukes. and it only takes one to start the nuclear holocost the us china n russia have been building the fucking nukes for. wake the fuck up our government will end it all for everyone even you if we dont get the nukes decomishened befor any country launches one. and you know as well as i do the us will shoot first.

[gamer4life789]

heeh finaly that whore fucker is dead and no his whore son is on power just nuke that piece of dirt

[Krabbo7]

North korea needs better actors, look how they cry

[AmnesiaHaze87]

@steliosslkds i never said it wasnt a loan retard. races ? ur the racist my friend.

i know how this ppl feel cause i have to work with them.

nvm i wont waste my time with u

[steliosslkds]

@AmnesiaHaze87 and since when austrians know what it feels like to be persecuted?you have only persecuted people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steliosslkds]

@AmnesiaHaze87 Oh and tell the rest of this world how much your country and your beloved germany ows..........to get things straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steliosslkds]

@AmnesiaHaze87 Well what kind of reply you could get from an austrian??????You think all other races besides yours are lower forms of life!!!!!!!!!!!!!The 110 billion is a LOAN in case you didnt read well ...............nobody gives you money for free in case you didnt know, fourth reich ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AmnesiaHaze87]

@steliosslkds @steliosslkds are u fucking kidding me ? do u know what political persecution means ? obviously u dont ... otherwise u wouldnt talk so much bullshit ...

btw

"and how do you know we were living on other peoples money? "

2010 greece got 110 billion € credit from eu and imf ... y thats not ur money !

[thecutesweetcookie]

That's wat you get kim jong il sooooo Hahaha have a good nightmare and for HEAVENLY DADDY'S message : bless the north Korean kids GOD

[gowiththeflowish]

kim jong il, i hope your having a great time in hell for all the children you starved to death

[arc175]

@salfordianthe All political parties fail. Because they have money. Monetary systems no matter what fail