Though the reclusive North Korean leader had been plagued with health problems in recent years, the announcement was greeted with general astonishment in Seoul, according to a journalist from the country's largest newspaper.
When Kim Jong Il, his oldest son, succeeded him, North Korea was crippled economically, having lost one of its main trading partners when the Soviet Union collapsed. Kim largely ignored the massive problems at home and focused on shoring up the regime's position and investing in the military as a bulwark against the wealthy, U.S.-backed south.
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