North Koreans mourn the death of Kim Jong Il

Residents of the isolated nation are in deep mourning following the death of their “Dear Leader,” who had ruled the country since the death of his father in 1994.

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Dec. 29, 2011

Military personnel observe a silent prayer during a national memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, at Kim Il Sung Square, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea declared Kim Jong Il's son and successor "supreme leader" of the ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the government's first public endorsement of Kim Jong Eun's leadership.

KCNA via Korea News Service / AP

Dec. 29, 2011

Thousands take part in a national memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Kim Il Sung Square, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

KCNA via Korea News Service / AP

Dec. 29, 2011

People attend a national memorial service to mourn late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Zhang Li / Xinhua via AP

Dec. 29, 2011

People take part in a silent tribute during a national memorial service to mourn late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

Kyodo / Reuters

Dec. 29, 2011

North Koreans bow as they observe three minutes of silence during a memorial ceremony for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang.

/ AP

Dec. 29, 2011

North Korean women walk to a venue to pay respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Dandong, a Chinese city bordering with North Korea. North Korea held a memorial Thursday for their late leader, who died of a heart attack on Dec. 17 at age 69, according to state media.

Eugene Hoshiko / AP

Dec. 29, 2011

Crew members of the railways bow their heads, paying respects to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korea began a national memorial service featuring tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

KCNA / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 29, 2011

Crew members of a ship bow their heads paying respects to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at an undisclosed location in North Korea.

KNS / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 29, 2011

North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Eun, is seen during a memorial service for his father, the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

/ AP

Dec. 29, 2011

People watch the memorial service for late North Korea leader Kim Jong Il on television at a train station in Seoul.

Prakash Singh / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 28, 2011

Kim Jong Eun, left, walks beside the hearse carrying his father, late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, during the funeral procession in Pyongyang, North Korea.

KCNA / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 28, 2011

North Koreans grieve during the funeral procession for their late leader Kim Jong Il at the square of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.

KCNA / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 28, 2011

A portrait of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is carried in the snow during his funeral procession in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Kyodo / Reuters

Dec. 28, 2011

This image taken from Korean TV shows North Koreans mourning during the funeral ceremony for the late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

KRT / AP

Dec. 28, 2011

This TV grab taken from North Korean TV shows Kim Jong Eun walking besides the convoy carrying the body of his father and late leader Kim Jong Il at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.

KRT / AP

Dec. 28, 2011

North Korean soldiers mourn during the funeral ceremony for the late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

Kyodo / Reuters

Dec. 28, 2011

The funeral procession for North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il heads toward the square of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.

KCNA / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 20, 2011

A group of North Koreans take part in an organized display of mourning, in front of a portrait of Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, the day after his death was announced.

/ AP

Dec. 28, 2011

The funeral procession for North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il arrives at the square of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.

KCNA / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 28, 2011

In this video image, a mourner weeps during the funeral procession for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

KRT / AP

Dec. 20, 2011

North Koreans bow to a portrait of Kim Jong Il, a day after his death was announced, in one of many organized displays of mass mourning in the capital Pyongyang.

/ AP

Dec. 20, 2011

The body of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il lies in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea.

/ AP

Dec. 20, 2011

In this image made from KRT television, Kim Jong Eun, center, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's youngest known son and successor, visits the body of Kim with top military and Workers' Party officials in a memorial palace in Pyongyang, North Korea.

/ AP

Dec. 20, 2011

North Koreans pass a row of flags flying at half mast on the morning after the day that the death of their leader Kim Jong Il was announced, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

Hundreds of North Koreans mourn the death of their leader Kim Jong Il in front of a giant statue of his father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea's news agency reported that he had died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday after having a heart attack on a train, adding that he had been treated for cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long time. He was 69.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

North Koreans cry and scream in a display of mourning for their leader Kim Jong Il at the foot of a giant statue of his father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, after Kim Jong Il’s death was announced.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

North Koreans cry after learning of the death of their leader, Kim Jong Il. Kim died Dec. 17, North Korean state media announced.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

North Koreans gather near a statue of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung after learning of the death of their leader, Kim Jong Il, son of Kim Il Sung.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

North Korean women cry after learning of the death of their leader, Kim Jong Il.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

North Koreans cry upon learning death of Kim Jong Il.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

Pyongyang residents react as they mourn over the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang. Kim died on a train trip Saturday, state television reported Monday, sparking immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear program.

Kyodo / Reuters

Dec. 19, 2011

North Koreans are in mourning after learning of the death of their leader, Kim Jong Il.

/ AP

Dec. 19, 2011

A waitress cries after hearing news of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, at a North Korean restaurant in Beijing. China said on Monday that it was "distressed" to learn of the death of Kim but remained confident that the North would remain united and that the two neighbors would keep up their cooperation.

China Daily / Reuters

Dec. 19, 2011

A North Korean cries as she arrives at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing to mourn the death of Kim Jong Il.

Feng Li / Getty Images

Dec. 19, 2011

South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence near the demilitarized zone in Paju, South Korea, before sunset. Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, has died. He was 69.

Lim Byung-shik / AP

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un, 2nd right, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the ceremonial head of state, right, bow as they attend a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

AP / AP

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