With a mourning period in effect for Kim, who died Saturday, flags flew at half-staff and shops were closed to allow North Koreans to pay their last respects to the “Dear Leader,” as he was called.
Kim’s death and the possibility of a power struggle in a country armed with nuclear weapons and known for its unpredictability has heightened tensions in the region.
However, placating fears, North Korean state media have given clear indications that Kim’s third son will succeed him.
The Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday described Kim Jong Un as a “a great person born of heaven,” a propaganda term only his father Kim Jong Il and his grandfather Kim Il Sung had enjoyed. 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.
While some may fear of infighting in the Korean peninsula, analysts say that any actual hostilities breaking out among North Korean officials in exceedingly unlikely.
(아주경제 앤드류 이 기자)
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