North Korea Ends Mourning of Kim Jong Il

By Sangwon Yoon - Dec 29, 2011 10:07 AM GMT+0700

Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s new leader, stood on a balcony overlooking Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang where tens of thousands of people gathered today to hear eulogies that bring to an end a period of national mourning for his father.

State television broadcast Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, delivering a eulogy today for Kim Jong Il, and images of a smiling portrait of the dictator erected in the square. Red banners adorned the square with the words: “Let’s serve the idea and leadership of respected Kim Jong Un with steadfast loyalty!”

The memorial services, which featured silent prayers and artillery salutes, are designed to bolster the standing of Kim Jong Un. The stability of North Korea, which has the world’s fourth-largest army and 70 submarines, may depend on the younger Kim’s ability to establish a firm grip on the regime.

State media have sketched the image of the younger Kim, thought to be 28 or 29, solidifying his hold on succession, referring to him as “supreme leader of the revolutionary armed forces” and “great successor” to his late father and grandfather.

Kim Jong Un yesterday walked beside the hearse carrying his father’s body though snow-covered streets. He was surrounded by members of the North Korean ruling elite during yesterday’s funeral and at today’s ceremony.

“Authorities are trying to indirectly communicate to the people that the transition is stable, that the new leader is stable,” Kim Yong Hyun, a professor of North Korea studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said after yesterday’s funeral.

Observers around the world are scrutinizing images from the memorial and yesterday’s funeral for signs of changes in the regime’s power hierarchy under its new leader.

It is difficult to tell whether a regency-type system will develop, led by Kim Jong Un’s uncle Jang Song Thaek, who walked behind his nephew in the motorcade yesterday, Kim said. “For now, it’s evident that the system is being centered around Kim Jong Un,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sangwon Yoon in Seoul at syoon32@bloomberg.net;

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net