North Korea fired artillery toward its tense western sea border with South Korea on Tuesday, killing at least one South Korean soldier, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Two civilians and 13 other South Korean military personnel were injured, with three of the soldiers seriously hurt, Yonhap said.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman contradicted the Yonhap report, saying that no deaths had been confirmed and that the military was checking on possible civilian casualties.

At least 200 rounds of artillery hit an inhabited South Korean island in the Yellow Sea after the North started firing about 2:30 p.m. local time, Yonhap said.

South Korea's military responded with 80 rounds of artillery and deployed fighter jets to counter the fire, the report said.
The South Korean army also raised its alert condition, the report said.

The South Korean government immediately called an emergency meeting of its security ministers, meeting in a bunker under the presidential residence in Seoul.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered his ministers to take measures against an escalation of the situation, presidential spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung said, according to Yonhap.

"Take a stern response and carefully manage the situation from further escalating," the president said.

The North Korean fire came as the South's military conducted routine drills in waters off the island, which is about 10 kilometers [6 miles] from the North.

The Yellow Sea has been a longstanding flashpoint between the two Koreas, but Tuesday's attack was an escalation in violence.

"Our navy was conducting a maritime exercise near the western sea border today. North Korea has sent a letter of protest over the drill. We're examining a possible link between the protest and the artillery attack," presidential spokeswoman Kim said, according to Yonhap.

The island is part of a small archipelago about 80 kilometers [49 miles] west of the South Korean port of Inchon, which serves Seoul, and is close to the tense Northern Limit Line, the maritime border between the two Koreas in the Yellow Sea.

A South Korean warship, the Cheonan was sunk in the area in March with the loss of 46 lives in a suspected North Korean torpedo attack.

North Korean artillery is extremely difficult to hit, because it is dug into coastal cliffs. Though the North has tested its artillery -- and tested anti-shipping missiles -- it has not fired artillery into South Korean territory in recent years.

One of North Korea's most potent threats is the hundreds of artillery barrels dug in along its demilitarized zone with South Korea and ranged on Seoul.

Yonhap television was covering the attack nonstop in South Korea, forgoing other news Tuesday. Meanwhile, state television in North Korea did not mention the attack.

Oh~hope peace will return

psychopaths....

South Korea's only real fear is the artillery, NK could never actually win a war but it could level a number of cities like Seoul..

It is said that N.K. just want to get some bargaining chips for the future talk.

Actually N.K. have to be so sensitive if they want to be independent from USA.If they work with USA, then i think that China will be in danger.

NK has to kill innocent people for absolutely no reason? that's a pretty absurd thing to say.

[quote=http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=110244&code=Ne2&category=2][/quote]
Russia has condemned North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island late last month and is deeply concerned over Pyeongyang's uranium enrichment efforts which could be used to make nuclear weapons.
Russia's Foreign Minister made these comments during a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Pak Ui-Chun in Moscow on Monday.
Moscow's foreign ministry announced that its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov also called on North Korea to comply with UN Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874.
Lavrov also, reportedly called for a resumption of six-party talks saying it was indispensable to relaunch the process on the North Korean issue.
Pyeongyang's top diplomat is in Moscow until Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Wi Sung-lac heads for Russia on this Tuesday for discussions with his counterpart.

=================

North Korea is threatening S.Korea.
Actions like this not only threatens the peace of the Korean peninsula but also the peace of the entire world.

UN Security Council and the interantional community including China must condemn North Korea and make North Korea take responsibility for its actions so that North Korea can never commit violent provocations again.

Bouncing back: South Korea knows how
The pain from the global financial crisis that began about two years ago in Wall Street reached the sprawling Dong-daemun market in Seoul. Customers disappeared for a time from the market, a cramped maze of tiny clothing and fabric shops in the shadow of a medieval city gate. But, business quickly rebounded, along with the rest of this vibrant, technology-driven nation, a display of economic resilience that many South Korean attribute to bitter experience: They have survived what was for them an even worse downturn before.

“ After th I.M.F. crisis, this time didn’t feel so much like a real crisis,” Kim Soon-nam, 70, looking undaunted as she surveyed customers from her small stall filled with track pants and brightly colored dress shirts. “It was hard back then, but that hardship made me stronger.”

In the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, popularly known here as the I.M.F. crisis, under the threat of economic collapse, South Korea accepted a tough bailout package from the International Monetary Fund that closed big banks and industrial companies, laid off legions of workers and prompted citizens to donate their gold to the national treasury. The I.M.F. crisis was a collective trauma that is remembered in South Korea on the scale of the Great Depression for Americans and that remains a source of much bitterness.
===================================

US, Europe and Asia were all struck hard by the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008, and many were preparing for the worst - devastating worldwide recession similar to that of the 1930's.

Despite all the pessimism however, South Korea quickly recovered from the recession by dismantling trade protectionism, reforming international financial systems and institutions, advocating and strengthening global financial safety net, and expanding foreign currency reserves.
Such economic policies implemented under President Myung-bak jLee powered South Korea's strong rebound from recession with an annual economic growth rate of 5~6%.
We should take a closer look at South Korean economic policies and their implementation before we take measures to end the ongoing recession

Cross-border business between North Korea and China is picking up, with construction of a new bridge connecting Sinuiju in North Korea to China's Dandong across the Apnok (or Yalu) River finally about to begin. And a Chinese company apparently obtained use of a dock at North Korea's Rajin-Sonbong port in North Hamgyong Province and began shipping coal out of the communist country.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing say cash-strapped North Korea is stepping up trade with China due to strained ties with South Korea compounded by UN sanctions. But private Chinese companies are on the whole wary of investing in North Korea due to political uncertainties and a lack of infrastructure there.

◆ New Bridge

A source in Dandong said Wednesday that North Korea and China will start construction of the bridge as early as Friday. The two sides agreed to build the bridge during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to North Korea in October last year, with work expected to start this October.

China insists on having the bridge connect the newly renovated area of southern Dandong and southern Sinuiju, but North Korea wanted it to cross over Wihwa Island in Apnok River and connect Dandong with the old part of Sinuiju. The North claimed the route preferred by China would necessitate building a long embankment but in fact seems to have been nervous that a direct link to Pyongyang would cause security concerns like making it easier for North Koreans to flee.

But the North seems to have caved in. A source said construction will begin in March but a groundbreaking ceremony will be held before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, transport of goods and products has picked up via the Hunchun- Rajin-Sonbong route as part of an economic cooperation project. Around 500 truckloads of coal from China's Jilin Province were shipped out of Rajin-Sonbong Port on Dec. 7 and are being transported to Shanghai across the East and South seas.

◆ Wooing Chinese Investment

Chinese officials with close ties with North Korea say the North has used to demand hard cash for business deals but is now taking a more flexible approach. The Global Times, a sister publication of the People's Daily, published a series of reports Saturday about the Rajin-Sonbong special economic zone of North Korea. It said street lights and neon signs powered by windmills have appeared in the region, which had earlier been pitch dark at night, while the previously ubiquitous soldiers have vanished.

North Korea allowed 4,000 Chinese residents in the area to rent commercial property and agreed to designate an area in the Rajin-Sonbong special economic zone to be jointly administered by the two countries.

North Korea had offered China to develop one or two islands in the estuary of the Apnok River on a 50-year lease, but when China demurred it apparently offered a 100-year lease and even allowed construction of golf courses and other recreational facilities.

◆ 'Strictly Business'

Many private Chinese companies are reticent about investing in North Korea. Not only is there a lack of business laws to protect their investment, there are also too many political uncertainties. As a result, the Chinese government is not playing a very active role. In the case of the bridge across the Apnok River, North Korea apparently wanted Chinese state-run companies to take part in construction, but Beijing declined.

One source in Beijing said some Chinese companies are showing great interest in developing the Rajin-Sonbong area, but most are biding their time. "Chinese businesses still don't seem to trust the sincerity of North Korea's desire to open up its economy," the source added.



The four-lane bridge linking Langtou in Dandong and Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province will be 20.4 km long and 33 m wide. China will foot the entire bill of around W300 billion (US$1=W1,163). Transport authorities in Liaoning Province selected six finalists from 22 designs for the bridge from eight design companies.

Dandong is the point where 70 percent of trade between China and North Korea passes, but the existing bridge, which was built in 1937, is dilapidated.

Good, start putting pressure on them to stop being so bloody nuts...

A Chinese state-run company recently agreed to invest $2 billion in North Korea’s Rason free trade zone, the JoongAng Ilbo learned yesterday from documents related to the deal.


Shangdi Guanqun Investment Co., Ltd. signed a 10-point memorandum of understanding with Pyongyang’s Investment and Development Group on Dec. 20 in Beijing, the documents showed.


The signing ceremony was attended by Mi Chang, president of Shangdi Guanqun Investment, and Kim Chol-jin, president of the Investment and Development Group.


The goal of the investment, stated in the documents, is to build Rason, a northeastern North Korean city on the East Sea that borders both China and Russia, into the “biggest industrial zone in Northeast Asia” in around 10 years.


The project calls for coal-fired power plants, roads, piers and oil refineries in the North Hamgyong Province city, the documents said.


According to the documents, the deal is “a strategic joint project based on trust between high-level figures” in China and North Korea, which suggests it may have been negotiated by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during two visits to China last year, on which he met Chinese President Hu Jintao.


The North’s economy has suffered under international sanctions on trade and financial services overseas, imposed after its nuclear weapon tests, and is desperately seeking foreign investment.


China is investing in Rason as an export base to serve markets in Japan, southern China and Southeast Asia.


Rason is a merger of two towns, Rajin and Sonbong, and was designated the first free trade zone in the North in 1991. It was promoted to a “special city,” which means it has fewer restrictions on businesses.


“We have a deep interest in North Korea’s ample natural resources,” an official of Shangdi Guanqun Investment Co., Ltd. told the JoongAng Ilbo. “To facilitate the export of natural resources [from the region], we will invest $300 million first and construct a coal-fire power plant at the coal mine and build a railway, roads, and harbors and piers [near it].”


The Chinese firm’s official said the company opened an office in Pyongyang at the end of last month.


Shangdi Guanqun Investment, established in 1995 by the Chinese government, is a trading firm specializing in oil processing, natural resources and international financial services. It is one of the key companies in China’s 12th five-year economic development plan that starts this year.


North Korea’s Investment and Development Group is in charge of developing the country’s four free trade zones. The other economic special zones are in Kaesong, Mount Kumgang and Sinuiju.


The Shangdi Guanqun Investment official said the company will build an oil refinery in Rason, where it plans to refine crude imported from the Middle East and Russia and sell the output to China or other countries.

Hurray! Prop up that maniacal dictatorship whose leader tells his followers he's like a God! I'm sure that will help make the world a better place!

South Korea and China reached an agreement to hold regular national defense strategy dialogues at the vice ministerial level, with a first meeting to be held in Seoul in late July. While strategic dialogues have taken place between the two countries’ foreign ministries in the past, this marks the first in the area of national defense.

A South Korean Ministry of National Defense official reported Friday that South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie agreed to open the strategic dialogue channel while meeting in talks in Beijing that afternoon. The first dialogue is to be attended by South Korean Vice Defense Minister Lee Yong-gul and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Deputy Chief of General Staff Ma Xiaotian.

Strategic dialogue provides a channel for open discussions on all relevant issues between two countries, with the aim of setting common goals and working jointly to achieve them. Attention is focusing on whether it can provide a starting point for building military trust between China and South Korea, which were sharply divided militarily on factors such as the latter’s joint military exercises with the United States in the West Sea following the sinking of the Cheonan last year.

Kim and Liang also agreed to resume military training exchanges halted in 2005 at Beijing’s request and to cooperation on disaster relief through the signing of a memorandum of understanding on mutual disaster relief assistance.

Kim reportedly communicated Seoul’s position on the Cheonan linking and Yeonpyeong Island artillery attack by saying, “Inter-Korean relations can only move forward once [Pyongyang] makes a firm pledge to take responsible measures for the provocation and to ensure there are no additional provocations.”

Kim also said, “South Korea will respond forcefully in terms of its self-defense rights if North Korea engages in additional armed provocations,” and requested a constructive role from Beijing to ensure that North Korea does not engage in any further reckless military provocations, a Ministry of National Defense official reported.

North Korea's state broadcaster on Sunday belatedly aired this year's World Championships in Athletics held in South Korea earlier this month, editing the footage to hide any mention of the host city.

In an evening sports program, (North) Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station showed clips of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4.

A female announcer and a male commentator mostly introduced the final rounds of events, including the 100-meter hurdles, pole vault, javelin throw and men's 100-meter.

They also explained why Usain Bolt was disqualified for a false start in the men's 100-meter final on Aug. 28.

However, the broadcasting station deleted mentions of South Korean cities in subtitles, while putting its own station logo over the one for the original source of the broadcast.

Quote:
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=8223
A documentary film glorifying the achievements of Kim Jong Eun is being shown to soldiers in North Korea, part of ongoing efforts to burnish the image of the successor and establish his power base.

Kim, a 28-year old male in the middle of his military service near Nampo in South Pyongan Province revealed the news to The Daily NK today, saying, “They have been showing us the documentary film ‘One Year under the Banner of the Supreme Leader’ since the start of September.”

The expression ‘supreme leader’ lends weight to the supposition that Kim Jong Eun’s takeover of power in the military sector is proceeding well, although it is clearly very early to be producing such propaganda.

North Korea has stepped up their propaganda efforts in military units by releasing the documentary film named 'One Year under the Banner of the Supreme Leader', which glorifies the life of Kim Jong-Un.
It has been only a year since Kim Jong-Un has been chosen as the successor.
Then why is North Korea putting all their efforts into idolizing Kim Jong-Un's life already?
Perhaps it is because nobody respects him so far?
North Korea has to make up a whole new person's life to come up with people's loyalty and respect for their future leader. How pathetic.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2011 09:29PM by Olive.

It has nothing to do with me

A teachers' union in Tokyo says that Korea's easternmost Dokdo islets cannot be reckoned as part of Japanese territory, because there is no historical proof.
Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun reported on Friday,that the union members stated that "there is no historical proof that Dokdo belongs to Japan" going against the Japanese government's official territorial claims to the islets.
The remarks came as teachers selected new text books that will be used in Japanese middle schools next year.
The union also added that false information about the Dokdo islets may foster unhealthy nationalism among local students.

[Parody] North Korean Propaganda Post

This year, dictators and their regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have been collapsed and executed. And the ones most scared of this situation are problbly Kim Jong il and Kim Jong Un.
Two days ago, accompained by his third son Kinm Jong Un and Jang Sung-taek, Chairmand Kim Jong il visited Guard Command Center that will protect himself and his regime, in order to show off how his regime still stands and to stop the people of North Korea from getting agitated.
When he was visiting the Command Center, he insisted that everyone must "fight with the last gun on the ground for the completion of Juche Revolution and fighting to protect the glorious leader unitl the very last breath." He even forced all officers to take an oath of absolute loyalty.
What's even more ridiculous is that he wanted to stop his people from getting agitated from the revolutions and regime chagnes going on in Middle East, and ordered "the ban of returning to North Korea for everyone working in Libya and Egypt."
No matter how much they try to block the information from getting to his people, Kim Jong il won't be able to avoid the democratic revolution sweeping through the world...

President Lee Myung-bak departed for a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia Thursday to attend a series of summits in Indonesia and for a state visit to the Philippines.

Following his arrival in Bali Thursday, Lee will hold a summit with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and discuss bilateral defense cooperation, among other issues, including a joint project to develop fighter jets.

On Friday, the president will meet with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Lee will also attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit, which includes ASEAN member states, South Korea, China and Japan.

During his talks with ASEAN leaders on Friday, Lee will discuss ways to boost cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN member countries whose ties have been upgraded to strategic partnership. Lee will also discuss ways to promote financial cooperation, including the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), which is an advanced framework on regional liquidity support. Boosting bilateral cooperation in food, energy and security will also top summit discussions.

On Sunday, Lee will visit the Philippines and hold a summit with President Benigno Aquino. The two leaders will share views on ways to improve investment environments, promote cooperation in development projects and ways to protect the rights and interests of Koreans residing in the Philippines.

The two leaders are also expected to sign memoranda of understanding on building a comprehensive agro-industrial cluster and on a project to build a coal-fired power plant in the Subic area in the Philippines.

President Lee Myung-bak held a trilateral summit with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Saturday in Bali, Indonesia.

Lee, who is in Bali to attend a number of regional summits, discussed with Wen and Noda the North Korean nuclear issue and cooperation in nuclear power safety and natural disaster management among other issues.

The leaders agreed to continue close cooperation on North Korea and expand economic, societal and cultural ties through the trilateral cooperation secretariat the three countries established in Seoul on September first.

The three leaders also agreed to work together to successfully host a high-level forum on the effectiveness of development aid scheduled in Busan next month and the Nuclear Security Summit slated for March in Seoul.

On Saturday afternoon, President Lee attended the East Asia Summit and discussed global cooperation on securing safe maritime transport routes. The summit was attended by leaders of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Korea, China and Japan as well as the U.S., Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Probably most of you might think tall, well shaped male soldiers if you hear about honor guard, but in South Korea, you can see female honor guard members with red caps, nice uniforms and rifle spinning performance.

They attract many people's attention with their perfect rifle performance and their skill is as good as male honor guard's.

South Korean female honor guard was established in 1989 and it's the only female honor guard in the world. It performed more than 150 times a year, which comes about 3,000 performances in total and showed exquisite harmony of discipline and beauty.

Flood control is more important than ever in Thailand, country where the government is investing billions of dollars in controlling 20 rivers that stretch up to 6,000km and cause flood damage every year

Last August's downpour - recorded as the worst torrential rain in last five decades - flooded 70% of Thailand's lands and killed around 400 people, causing over 16 billion dollars' worth of damage. The country now grieves in pain as its people pray for their loved ones that passed away.

To prevent this annual disaster from happening, Thai ex-prime minister Thaksin visited South Korea to tour the 'The Four Major Rivers(Han, Nakdong, Geum, and Yeongsan rivers) Project', where rivers are being dredged and dammed to avoid future disasters and to improve the water quality.

Let us hope that South Korean flood control technologies can soon spread to Thailand so that its people may avoid further suffering from flood disasters.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il regularly blasts the breakdown in military discipline among troops, a report based on internal data collected over the last decade said Monday.

The report compiled jointly by the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), the Institute for National Security Strategy and a local university, claimed problems started occurring from 2000 onwards.

"Reports released for circulation within the military cited lapses in their resolve to follow Kim Jong-il's guidelines and questioning the policies made by the supreme commander and the ruling Workers' Party," a KINU researcher said. Kim is the head of North Korea's military.

He added that reports showed that some ranking officers failed to promptly follow through on orders and sought profit by selling war materials.

In addition, the latest findings showed Kim frequently chastising breaches of discipline and the military demeanor among officers.

It cited an incident in 2002, when the North Korean leader yelled at officers who did not wear their uniforms properly during one of his on-site inspections.

The report said excessive drinking is blamed for many mishaps in the military, with complaints about beatings and cruelty being voiced.

Researchers also said that they conducted a poll on 200 North Koreans who fled to South Korea. The refugees had generally low views of discipline within the communist country's armed forces.

Poohahafun, seems to me you are the only expert here on things happening in North Korea, does anyone else, beside yourself ever study the system in North Korea? Is there anyway to contact interneters who speak some english in North Korea? Like a live North Korean chat room or other means? Or, is their system totally closed to us in the usa? I see a few of them in sina.com sometimes but they do not seem to have their own internet chat or network, or, am I wrong again?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2011 08:11PM by Tchapm3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giKQ-QoIBUo

South Korea will establish a new sea wall and tourist facilities in waters off Dokdo by as early as 2016, aiming to bolster its control over the long-disputed rocky islets, officials said.

The plan is the latest in a series of the government’s measures to guard against Japan’s repeated territorial claim over the islets, which it calls Takeshima. Seoul officials said the 400 billion won ($344.4 million) package aimed to galvanize tourism and facilitate access there.

Under the plan, the Korean government will install a 210-meter-long breakwater, an underwater park and viewing chamber, plus a 200-meter road connecting the east and west islets.

The new breakwater is more than 20 times larger than the existing one so as to provide a safe anchorage for a cruise ship of up to 5,000 tons and a 2,000-ton vessel simultaneously. The current wharf can accommodate only a few boats of around 300 tons at a time, said officials at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.

“The existing fragile sea wall has made it difficult to dock at Dokdo in case of high seas,” an official said.

“We’re trying to make the islands accessible and enjoyable for tourists.”

But the plan may hit a snag due to persistent diplomatic tension between South Korea and Japan over the islets, about 90 kilometers east of the Korean shore. Dokdo lies in rich fishing grounds in the East Sea and is also believed to be surrounded by large natural gas reserves.

Coca Cola is going to be opened in North Korea.
Coca Cola is one of the popular franchise brands and it has a lot of chains in the whole world. Even Nepal (Its GNP is $550) has one in Kathmandu.

This Power brand Coca Cola finally pulled down the fort North Korea. Although we should watch the situation considering its unique national policy. "North Korea accepted a symbol of capitalism" It means that North Korea may be trying to get changed gradually like China.


I hope that many good world companies will enter into North Korea and make it more changed positively for North Korean people.

you wouldnt happen to be paid to make these comments? i hope north korea does not allow these "world companies" to enter their country. north koreans should produce their own drinks rather than buy from greedy foreign corporations

Poohahafun and Mula:

Happy to greet you here. Yes, I agree with you Poohahafun it is a step in the right direction for North Korea, on the other hand, I agree with you also Mula that most foreign companies have a tendency to be greedy, not just in North Korea, but china and others as well. That is the nature of capitalism. I think both sides need to practice restraint and moderation I laud North Korea for also opening itself to tourism now too. As Poohaha said, "in opening itself for business and trade, the north koreans will find many new ideas and thoughts very dissimilar to it's ideals." But in the long run, it will make north koreans learn that we are all people the same as them. All we human beings want is love, appreciation, friendship, good homes, good jobs, and prosperity to take of the needs of those we love, get it!" The good part about all this is "multi-national companies" will be more ready to tell their government, "hey, don't bomb North Korea, we have business investments there and we dont need to destroy our workers or our plants!" Get it? Mula, sometimes it is not all about "money, understand?" Many foreign nationals, as well as I, a usa english teacher, would just like to make friendship with North Koreans, alright? The more north koreans meet us, and the more we meet them, we will see that they are not "devils or demons" and we are not devils or demons, too. Hope you understand my english here, you seem to be very astute with english, so I hope we can become friends alright?

Ted

Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader, has died of heart failure. He was 69.
In a "special broadcast" Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 during a "high intensity field inspection." It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and "fully confirmed" the diagnosis.

Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The communist country's "Dear Leader"—reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine—was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.

"It is the biggest loss for the party ... and it is our people and nation's biggest sadness," an anchorwoman clad in black Korean traditional dress said in a voice choked with tears. She said the nation must "change our sadness to strength and overcome our difficulties."

South Korean media, including Yonhap news agency, said South Korea put its military on "high alert" and President Lee Myung-bak convened a national security council meeting after the news of Kim's death. Officials couldn't immediately confirm the reports.

The news came as North Korea prepared for a hereditary succession. Kim Jong Il inherited power after his father, revered North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994.