Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, dies at 69

Kim Jong-il, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father, Kim Il-sung in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said.

North Korean leader suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months.

Kim Jong-il’s designated successor is his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s.

North Korea’s state-run news agency, KCNA, urged people to unite behind the younger Kim.

“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,” the news agency said.

State media also referred to Kim Jong-un as the “great successor to the revolutionary cause” in what appeared to be the first such reference.

Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, has died at the age of 69

A funeral for Kim Jong-il will be held in Pyongyang on 28 December and Kim Jong-un will head the funeral committee, KCNA reports. A period of national mourning has been declared from 17 to 29 December.

International media reports say Kim Jong-il’s death will cause huge shock waves across North Korea, an impoverished, nuclear-armed nation with few allies.

The announcement of Kim Jong-il’s death came in an emotional statement read out on national television.

The announcer, wearing black, said he had died of physical and mental over-work. A later report from KCNA said Kim Jong-il had had a heart attack.

China – North Korea’s closest ally and biggest trading partner – said it was “distressed” to hear the news of his death.

“We express our grief about this and extend our condolences to the people of North Korea,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

South Korea’s military has been put on alert following the announcement and its National Security Council is convening for an emergency meeting, Yonhap news agency reports. The Japanese government has also convened a special security meeting.

The White House said it was “closely monitoring” reports of the death. The US remained “committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies”, it said in a statement.

South Korea’s President Lee Myung-Bak spoke to US President Barack Obama by telephone.

“The two leaders agreed to closely co-operate and monitor the situation together,” a South Korean presidential spokesman said.

Asian stock markets fell after the news was announced.

Kim Jong-il inherited the leadership of North Korea – which remains technically at war with South Korea – from his father Kim Il-sung.

Shortly after he came to power, a severe famine caused by ill-judged economic reforms and poor harvests left an estimated two million people dead.

Kim Jong-il’s regime has been harshly criticized for human rights abuses and is internationally isolated because of its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Under Kim Jong-il’s leadership funds have been channeled to the military and in 2006 North Korea conducted its first nuclear test. It followed that up with a second one three years later. Multinational talks aimed at disarming North Korea have been deadlocked for months.

Kim Jong-il unveiled his son as his likely successor a year ago. Many had expected to see this process further consolidated in 2012.

Professor Lee Jung-hoon, specializing in international relations at Yonsei University in Seoul, told the BBC that with the transition of power from father to son incomplete, Kim Jong-il’s death could herald “very unstable times” in North Korea.

“We have to be very worried because whenever there is domestic instability North Korea likes to find an external situation to divert the attention away from that – including indulging in provocation.”

Christopher Hill, former US representative to the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme, said all parties needed to “keep cool heads”.

As for Kim Jong-il’s son and successor, very little is known about him – including his exact age. He was educated in Switzerland and is the son of Kim Jong-il’s reportedly favorite wife, the late Ko Yong-hui.

Kim Jong-un has an older brother, Kim Jong-chol, and a older half-brother, Kim Jong-nam – both of whom appear to have been passed over for the succession.