FSRN Kim Jong Il North Korean Leader Dies at 69
Channel: Reddebrek
Date: 2011-12-20

Today, thousands of North Koreans filled the streets of the capital, Pyongyang, in mourning of the country's long-time leader, Kim Jong il. State media reported he died of a heart attack on Saturday, but details remain unclear. Kim Jong Il officially took over power from his father in 1994, but was a central figure in the Communist leadership since the mid 1970s. North Korea's isolated regime is nuclear armed and neighboring countries have expressed concern heading into a period of transition. Some human rights groups are pressing for an improvement in relations, in order to address widespread poverty and hunger. According to Amnesty International, nearly a million people have died in North Korea due to food shortages since the mid-1990s.  Chronic malnutrition continues to hit millions more, especially women and children. For more on the local reaction, we go to FSRN's Jason Strother in Seoul, South Korea.

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