North Koreans Grieve the Loss of their "Dear Leader"

After the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was announced on North Korean state television yesterday, news spread quickly around the world, becoming the headline news in many international news channels. An emotional television announcer dressed in black broke the news on a North Korean television channel, and this footage was passed on over worldwide. Soon after that, more videos were released from North Korea, showing the North Koreans grieving over the loss of their "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il, who has a cult-like following and has achieved "God-like" status in this isolated, impoverished nation.

One such video is the one shown above, which was uploaded yesterday and has since had over 2,000,000 views on YouTube. 

The video, which is about three minutes in length, shows a number of North Koreans gathered in public squares across the country, weeping before a portrait of their departed leader. Men and women, young and old, gathered and grieved over the loss of the man who is despised by the rest of the world, yet is well-loved and revered by his own people. We could even see the anguish of young children (born when Kim Jong-il was already in power), who, since childhood, have been heavily brainwashed into hating the United States, the West, and South Korea, and into believing that Kim Jong-il was sort-of a deity, who they must worship and respect, even in times of suffering brought about by Kim Jong-il himself. 

Kim Jong-il, who has been in power since 1994, died suddenly on Saturday due to a heart attack while on a train headed outside Pyongyang. 

Following Mr. Kim's death, there is now much uncertainty about the future of North Korea. Though his third son, Kim Jong-un is poised to take over, many still believe he is incapable of leading, as he is only in his late 20s. Many are hoping though, that Kim Jong-il's death could pave the way for changes in the country. For one, Kim Jong-un was educated outside of North Korea, and this exposure to the outside world could help the Kim Jong-un with his decision-making. Even before Kim Jong-il's death, some changes were already being seen in North Korea--more and more people had their own mobile phones, for example. Though these changes seem minuscule, they are still an improvement compared to what was happening previously, especially  during the 1990s, when widespread famine and flooding killed hundreds of thousands of people, especially children. With the younger Kim in power, many are hoping that North Korea would eventually see much-needed change, but that is still uncertain.

Kim Jong-il's funeral is scheduled for December 28, and until then, the North Koreans and the rest of the world could only wait in anticipation as a new leader takes over. Could this death possibly mark the start of a brighter future for this impoverished nation?

We'll have to wait and see.