Many countries, organizations, and individuals issued reactions to the death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011. According to CNN, reactions were "somewhat muted" in comparison to deaths of other world leaders. Just a few countries reacted immediately after Kim's death was announced on North Korea's KCTV. Some countries, like the United States, took the opportunity to comment on their relationship with South Korea.[1] South Korea decided not to offer official condolences, mirroring both worsened relations after the ROKS Cheonan sinking and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong and its position after the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994.[2] Chinese Foreign Ministry called Kim a "great leader" and added that Beijing would continue to offer its support. Japan expressed condolences and said it hoped Kim's death would not affect the region adversely. Reactions in Europe were "a mix of hope and watchfulness".[3] In North Korea, the official reaction was grief and support for the succession of Kim Jong Un.[4]
Korean Central News Agency announced the news, stating on 19 December:
The body of National Defense Commission Chairman Kim will lie in state at Kumsusan Memorial Palace during the period of mourning from the 17th to the 29th. Visitors will be received between the 20th and 27th. The ceremony for his parting will be performed on the 28th in Pyongyang. Central memorial meetings to honor Chairman Kim will open on the 29th. At that time, in Pyongyang and sites in every province, there will be an artillery salute and three minutes of silence, and all official vehicles and vessels will sound their horns.
Images showed that in the streets of Pyongyang, many people wept over Kim's death.[5][6] People could be seen gathering to pay their respects, some kneeling, some wailing, and some beating the ground with their fists.[7]
The BBC reported that the Korean Central News Agency said people were convulsing with pain and despair at their loss, but would unite behind his successor Kim Jong Un. They said that all party members, military men, and the public should faithfully follow the leadership of comrade Kim Jong Un and protect and further strengthen the unified front of the party, military, and the public.[5]
Workplaces and local government offices have organised meetings to create a proper atmosphere of mourning. People's Units have emphasised the Last Instructions of Kim Jong Il and groups from schools and workplaces have been visiting statues of Kim Il Sung and other major memorials to pay their respects.[8]
After the death was announced, the South Korean military was put on high alert.[9] The South's National Security Council, worried that political jockeying in North Korea could destabilise the region, also convened for an emergency meeting.[5] President Lee Myung-bak cancelled the rest of his Monday schedule and in a statement, declared, "[f]or the sake of the future of the Republic of Korea, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is more important than anything else. It should not be threatened by what has happened. We must make thorough preparations to maintain peace and stability and continue to work closely with the international community ... All citizens are asked to go about their lives without wavering so that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will not be hampered".[10] No government officials from Seoul paid condolences, according to the Unification Ministry. Lee Hee-ho, the 89-year-old widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun led a private group of 18 South Koreans on a two-day visit, where state media showed them being greeted by Kim Jong Un on 26 December.[11]
Asian stock markets fell soon after the announcement of Kim's death, echoing concerns about regional instability.[5] At the opening of the European markets, stocks also fell, but Indonesian and United States stock markets rose after the announcement of Kim Jong Il's death.[80][81][82]