Watched by hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians packed into Kim Il-sung Square — named after the regime’s first leader, who died in 1994 — Jong-un watched from a balcony overlooking the plaza as he was declared “supreme leader” of the ruling Workers’ Party, military and people.<\/span><\/p>\nThe North Korean media had been referring to Jong-un as the supreme commander in the days before his father’s funeral, but this was the first time his leadership had been publicly endorsed.<\/p>\n
If the snow that carpeted the North Korean capital on Wednesday was supposed to symbolise the grieving of a nation of 23 million, Thursday’s brighter weather marked a new era for the world’s only communist dynasty.<\/p>\n
The memorial service was the second day of funeral proceedings for Kim Jong-il, who died of a heart attack on December 17.<\/p>\n
Almost two weeks of national mourning came to an end when the crowd marked a three-minute silence and trains and ships across the country sounded their horns in unison.<\/p>\n
In contrast to the TV images of undiluted grief that greeted Kim Jong-il’s hearse as it was driven through the streets of a bitterly cold Pyongyang, the memorial service sought to cement his son’s position as his chosen successor.<\/p>\n
Kim Yong-nam, the country’s ceremonial head of state, said: “The great heart of comrade Kim Jong-il has stopped beating … such an early and unexpected departure is the biggest and most unimaginable loss to our party and the revolution.”<\/p>\n
But North Korea, he said, would “transform the sorrow into strength and courage one thousand times greater under the leadership of comrade Kim Jong-un”, adding that the younger Kim had inherited his father’s “ideology, character and revolutionary” spirit.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n“The fact that he completely resolved the succession matter is great comrade Kim Jong-il’s most noble achievement,” he said.<\/p>\n
Kim Jong-un, flanked by senior party and military officials on the balcony of the grand people’s study house, bowed his head during the service.<\/p>\n
To his left stood his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who along with his wife, Kim Jong-il’s younger sister, is expected to act as a close adviser to the new leader.<\/p>\n
The accession won’t become become formal until senior members of the party, parliament and government meet to confirm Jong-un’s position. — \u00a9 Guardian News and Media 2011<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A day after mourners packed the streets of Pyongyang to bid farewell to the former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the country completed the transfer of power to his youngest son, Kim Jong-un. Watched by hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians packed into Kim Il-sung Square — named after the regime’s first leader, who died in 1994 — Jong-un watched from a balcony overlooking the plaza as he was declared “supreme leader” of the ruling Workers’ Party, military and people. The North Korean media had been referring to Jong-un as the supreme commander in the days before his father’s funeral, but this was the first time his leadership had been publicly endorsed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
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