Tens of thousands of North Korean people and soldiers lined the snowy streets of Pyonyang Wednesday for the carefully choreographed funeral procession of deceased leader Kim Jong-il. Kim’s son and designated successor, Kim Jong-un, was seen walking alongside the hearse carrying his father’s body. North Korea’s iron-fisted leader since 1994, Kim reportedly died of a heart attack on December 17 at age 69. Funeral services are scheduled to last for two days. Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Beijing bureau chief and author of “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea,” gives her analysis of the funeral and discusses North Korea’s future.
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