Kim Jong Il's body is put on display

Korean Central TV of the North via Reuters

The body of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il lies in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang in this still picture taken from video footage of still images aired by KRT (Korean Central TV of the North) on Dec. 20, 2011.

The Associated Press reports from PYONGYANG, North Korea:

The body of North Korea's long-time ruler Kim Jong Il was laid out in a memorial palace Tuesday as weeping mourners filled public plazas and state media fed a budding personality cult around his third son, hailing him as "born of heaven."

Indicating the leadership transition in the world's only communist dynasty is on track, Kim Jong Un — Kim's youngest known son and successor — visited the body with top military and Workers' Party officials and held what state media called a "solemn ceremony" in the capital, Pyongyang, as the country mourned.

The Korean people were in "deep sorrow at the loss of the benevolent father of our nation," Ri Ho Il, a lecturer at the Korean Revolutionary History Museum, told The Associated Press in Pyongyang.

"He defended our people's happiness, carrying on his forced march both night and day," Ri said.

Korean Central TV of the North via Reuters

Medals belonging to Kim Jong Il are displayed as he lies in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.

Still images aired on state TV showed that the glass coffin holding Kim's body was surrounded by his namesake flowers — red "kimjongilia" blossoms. He was covered with a red blanket, his head placed on a white pillow.

The coffin was in a room of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, a mausoleum where the embalmed body of his father — national founder Kim Il Sung — has been on display in a glass sarcophagus since his death in 1994.

The state funeral is to be held at the palace on Dec. 28. Read the full story.

Korean Central TV of the North via Reuters

Kim Jong Un pays his respects to his father lying in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.

As the body of North Korea's long-time ruler Kim Jong Il lies on display in a glass coffin, the world is trying to figure out what direction the secretive nation will take now. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

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I could say I sorry to hear that Kim Jong II has kicked the bucket but that would be a lie. I hope the SOB died slowly, alone, and in severe pain; the worlds a better place with him dead. I wonder what the penalty is for not showing the proper amount of grief in North Korea. It has been reported that North Korean Police have said that if people don't cry and mourn enough in public they will make you cry in pain in private.

    Reply#85 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:49 PM EST

    they say according to Kim Jong he never had a bowel movement or urinated. so we know what he was full of. to bad his people didn't.

      Reply#86 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:03 PM EST

      No offense, but his son looks like he has Down Syndrome, guess he still qualifies to lead a country, I mean look at Congress for instance........Shogun

        Reply#87 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:09 PM EST

        lol..roflmao... good one 357

          #87.1 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:31 PM EST
          Reply

          ...interesting...

          ...peasant under glass...

            Reply#88 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:29 PM EST

            What a GLORIOUS DAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011 WAS!!!!!

            1, one of the worlds most renowned PIECE OF @!$%#, left our presence.

            The sad thing is, the people believe he was good, and are starving to death over this MAGGOTT.

            Hopefully his son will travel a BETTER road.

              Reply#89 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:17 AM EST

              We heard your opinions, now let us see what the Lord has to say on the subject: "...As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways (Eze. 33:11);"

              That goes for everybody not just Kim!

                Reply#90 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:42 AM EST

                Hey Jerry, if the lord had wanted to intervene he would have done it a long time ago and saved those people decades of suffering. One should not have to suffer endlessly to enjoy a few days of happiness. Yeah, I heard that also for the middle east and see where we are with that. Where was the Lord then?

                  #90.1 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:26 PM EST
                  Reply

                  Aw! C'mon folks, all that crying and sorrow, you've got it backwards. This is North Korea, this is Asia, those aren't tears of anguish, those are tears of pure JOY!

                  The S.O.B. is dead, long live the S.O.B.!...and pray the next Kim is not as bad, although the people would probably prefer the Kim they refer to as the 'Gay Cabalerro'!

                  Too bad, North Korea hasn't been liberated yet or taught the finer points of political correctness a la the US. Sorry, just couldn't help myself.

                    Reply#91 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:45 PM EST

                    Hey how come no North Koreans are adding their comments to this blog? Oh forgot, they do not have the freedom and liberty we have. Maybe they will not rise and fight for what they are missing, it is called living. Big damn deal, so he died, and they are still communists, and so is the next son, etc., Who's for having a party to celebrate his death. The worst thing they can do is allow the son and the generals to get a big head and start a conflict. They would be signing their death warrant, but you know damn well that USA would be in the lead to protect everybody in the world from this chicken shyt pizzant country instead of taking it to them and putting them out of biz quickly. Let's see what happens, who knows, the son might get some balls and decide to do what is best for his people and go democratic.

                      Reply#92 - Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:23 PM EST

                      Ought to send John Boehner and his fellow GOPee'rs to the funeral !!!

                        Reply#93 - Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:21 AM EST
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