Asia, North Korea | featured news

North Korea says that before Kim Jong Il's death the United States offered to provide food aid if Pyongyang halted its uranium enrichment program. North Korea responded angrily to the offer Wednesday, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman accusing Washington of "politicizing" food shipments.

In footage aired on state television, North Korea's new leader vowed to wage war if the country's enemies shot down its long-range rocket.

With its secretive dynastic dictators and its nuclear-armed military, North Korea produces its fair share of intrigue even without the help of Chinese social media. But in recent days, netizens in China added their own plot twist, posting rumors about a military coup that upended young leader Kim Jong Eun.

North Korea announced on Saturday it has appointed Kim Jong-un, the anointed successor and youngest son of Kim Jong-il, as supreme commander of its 1.2 million-strong military, two days after official mourning for the late leader ended.

North Korea says it "will have no dealings" with the current South Korean government, dismissing the prospect of a shift in relations after Kim Jong Il's death.

North Korea's power brokers publicly declared Kim Jong Un the supreme leader for the first time at Thursday's massive public memorial for his father Kim Jong Il, cementing the family's hold on power for another generation....

North Korea's next leader escorted his father's hearse in an elaborate state funeral on a bitter, snowy day Wednesday, bowing and saluting in front of tens of thousands of citizens who wailed and stamped their feet in grief for Kim Jong Il.

Thousands of people likely will file past a glass case housing the body of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during his funeral Wednesday to pay respects to the dictator, revered as a godlike "dear leader" by his people, an expert said.

North Korea displayed the body of ruler Kim Jong Il in a glass coffin surrounded by red flowers Tuesday, and his young heir was one of the first to pay respects -- a strong indication that a smooth leadership transition was under way.

The United States’ close ties with the South are likely to prove crucial as the two countries navigate through the perilous days ahead.