EDITORIAL - Transition in Pyongyang

North Koreans put the remains of their “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il on national TV starting yesterday, a few days after his death, and three years after rumors started circulating that he was seriously ill. Since the rumors began, speculation had focused on Kim’s likely successor, and the implications of a leadership change on security in Northeast Asia.

Until yesterday, when it became clear that Kim’s son Jong-un had taken the reins of power in a continuation of the family dynasty, uncertainty surrounded the transition. The two-day delay in the announcement of Kim’s death as well as the systematic release of information and images were seen by some quarters as positive signs that someone was firmly in control in Pyongyang. A chaotic transition could indicate a power play that could spell trouble for all the parties that are involved in negotiating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Jong-il kept that peace and stability elusive throughout his dictatorial rule, as he test-fired missiles, bombed a South Korean island and – if suspicions of foreign governments are correct – raced to build nuclear weapons even as he opened the doors to multiparty talks.

Under the Kim dynasty, North Korea has become an international pariah, with Pyongyang spending heavily on defense rather than the basic needs of its people. Its neighbors, worried about a flood of refugees, have tried engagement, sending food and other forms of aid to the Hermit Kingdom. South Korea, which has pursued an on-and-off “Sunshine Policy” with the North, has largely ignored violent provocation from Pyongyang.

The new North Korean leader is young and may have different ideas from his father and grandfather about running the country. So far the transition appears to be smooth, with no restless stirrings in the military. For now the world is watching, and can only hope for signs of positive change.