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18 Chicago Tribune Section1 WASHINGTON recent months the Obama administration has moved to re-engage North Korea, and U.S. officials had expected to announce plans this week to ship food and other humanitarian aid to the perennially stricken nation in exchange for to suspend work on nuclear enrichment. The death of North longtime leader Kim Jong Iland the rise of his son and political heir apparent, Kim Jong put those overtures on hold for now, U.S. officials said Monday, adding a fresh level of uncertainty to a diplomatic relationship long marked by distrust on both sides. With little clarity yet about the untested new leader in Pyongyang, the Obama administration struggled with even mundane issues about the path ahead.

After internal debate, the State Department decided not to issue formal condolences to North Korea, as it normally does when a foreign leader dies. South Korea, a close U.S. ally, also has refrained from offering that diplomatic courtesy. But some U.S. diplomats worry that failing to express official sympathy could provoke an angry reaction from the new regime.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham at the State Department, avoided any mention of death, emphasizing instead for improved relations with the people of North For Washington, the most important challenge is how to restrain the authoritarian development and production of nuclear warheads, plus its growing array of short-range, medium- range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. North Korea tested nuclear devices in 2006and 2009 and revealed a new uranium enrich- ment program last year. U.S. satellite imagery last month revealed construction of a new light water reactor was under way at center of its nuclear program. U.S.

officials said that while Kim Jong Un ultimately could open long- closed doors to greater engagement with the West and perhaps allow the start of modest political reforms, they are working under the assumption that the succession is going as planned, the new government will cling to its nuclear weapons and little will change in the foreseeable future. At the White House, spokesman Jay Carneywould not say if Kim Jong death could provide an opening for an improved relationship between North Korea and the international community. Korea is in a period of national he said. transition is just now beginning to take Carney said U.S. officials have new about North nuclear stockpile as aresult of death and his succession.

think we have additional concerns beyond the ones long had with North approach to nuclear issues, and we will continue to press them to meet their international he said. death comes as tensions between Washington and Pyongyang appeared to be easing, partly as a result of agreements reached over the weekend in Beijing. But U.S. officials said they postponed their decision to send 240,000 tons of food aid to North Korea and that the effort to restart the stalled six-nation talkswould be put on hold during the mourning period. death underscored the limits of U.S.

intelligence on developments in North Korea. U.S. officials said they did not learn of death, which occurred early Saturday, until it was announced Mondayon state media. U.S. officials said they had detected no unusual troop movements or changes in military readiness since death.

Gen. Martin of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon had not seen change in North Korean behavior that would alarm Dempsey also downplayed North launch of two short-range missiles Monday, saying the tests apparently were planned before death. Asked if the ascension of Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be 27, could be destabilizing, Dempsey said, would only say that at this point that he is young to be placed in that While White House officials sought to play down the significance of the transition, former U.S. officials and regional experts said the shift could provide a historic opportunity to ease the conflict on the Korean peninsula. Victor was a senior adviser to President George W.

Bush, said death could broaden international discussion of the nuclear issue. The Obama recent discussions with North Korea small bites at the Cha, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in an email. are now talking about the whole Tribune Ken Dilanian, David C. Cloud and Christi Parsons contributed from Washington. Fresh unease over N.

Korea U.S. puts aid plans on hold as nation transitions to son By Paul Richter Tribune Washington Bureau A South Korean soldier keeps watch on North Korea at an outpost Monday near the Demilitarized divides the nations. The U.S. has not detected unusual troop movements following Kim Jong death. YONHAP PHOTO Kim Jong Un The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il leaves the family business in terrible shape.

Under his leadership over the past 17 years, almost 10 percent of the population, about 2 million of hunger. North Korea developed nuclear weapons, but its people sank deeper into poverty and isolation, while patron and next-door neighbor China charged ahead with its economic miracle. His youngest son, Kim Jong Un, was named to succeed him two years ago and is still in his 20s. He has before him what seems an impossible task for a baby-faced man who just a decade ago was attending high school in Switzerland: rescue a failed state and perpetuate the family dynasty into athird generation. Jong Il was the glue that held the system said Scott Snyder, a Korea expert with the Council on Foreign Relations.

know how the system will respond in his could potentially said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing. only person who had the experience and who held the exclusive power is Kim Jong Un was extolled Mondayby North Korean state media as the to his father, who was referred to as the and his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. The young man, thought to be just shy of his 28th birthday, is the leader of our party, army and But not nearly so simple. He is likely to be overshadowed at least for a time by a powerful uncle, Jang Sung Taek. And initial indications are that North Korea may try to set up a more collective leadership.

Jang, 65, is married to Kim Jong younger sister, Kim Kyong Hui.Jang spent three decades in the ruling Party, holding key positions in the military and secret police and running North special economic zones. Members of his own family also hold powerful jobs with the military. In contrast, his resume is thin. Kim Jong Un attended a German-language public high school in Bern, Switzerland. His classmates described him as crazy about basketball and computer games.

Until September 2010, when he was named a four-star general, he was almost entirely unknown to the North Korean public. Even the exact spelling of his name is a state secret. Jong Un has had only two Shi said. is not enough time to become crown Current and former U.S. officials are divided on what to expect from the relationship between Jang and the new leader.

Chuck Downs, a former Pentagon and State Department official, said the younger Kim was likely to be a figurehead with Jang actually running the show. Downs said he has concluded from years of watching North Korea that Kim Jong Un is not nearly tough enough for the job. go from a guy who tries to be friends with everyone at his Swiss boarding school, who befriends enemies of North Korea and puts a poster of Kobe Bryant in his room, to being the kind of ruthless person who rules North he said. Current U.S. intelligence officials concur that Jang is likely to play an important role, but they regard him as too cautious to try to seize power for himself.

And the U.S. government assessment is that Kim Jong Un is indeed ruthless enough to rule. Regardless, North Korea officials are likely to emphasize order while the succession unfolds. The military appears to be taking a more prominent role. The announcement Monday of death was signed by the four different entities from the party, military and Supreme Assembly.

lot depends on whether the power centers of the regime coalesce around Kim Jong Un or see this period of uncertainty as an opportunity to change the balance of power a U.S. official said. are very tricky calculations to make in an authoritarian society like North Kim Jong Il was well-prepared to take over. He had spent two decades as dictator-in-training, running the propaganda operations and later its nuclear and missile programs. By time his fatherdied he was already the de facto leader, one reason that he managed to pull off the transition without any visible opposition.

Still, conditions deteriorated badly in North Korea during his 17 years in power, and it became increasingly difficult to hide that from its people. Outside the capital, people almost never eat meat and even a bowl of rice can be a treat. Chronic malnutrition since the early 1990s has left an entire generation stunted. One study of defectors who escaped to China found that 18-year-old males are, on average, five inches shorter than their South Korean counterparts. The scientific resources have been devoted to the pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles.

North Korean people had real affection for Kim Il said Sohn Jung-hoon, a defector and activist based in Seoul. Kim Jong Il was a terrible leader. The people suffered too much hardship and Tribune Ken Dilanian in Washington, Nicole Liu in Beijing and Jung-yoon Choi in Seoul contributed. All eyes on Pyongyang residents react to the news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is dead. Kim died Saturday, state media reported Monday.

KYODO NEWS PHOTO Untested son in 20s faces a daunting task in impoverished N. Korea By Barbara Demick Tribune Newspapers ANALYSIS FOCUS NORTH KOREA Expanded coverage in the Nation World report Kim Jong rule 1994 U.S. President Bill Clinton opens up a dialogue with North Korea, agreeing to send the country aid if it freezes its nuclear program. Kim becomes North leader following his death. January 2002 After putting the U.S.

policy toward North Korea under review a year earlier, President George W. Bush labels North Korea part of the of North Korea calls this a declaration of war and over the next year restarts its nuclear program and quits the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. October 2006 North Korea carries out its first nuclear test. Saturday Kim dies and is succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Un. August 2011 Kim visits China and Russia to hold discussions on his nuclear ambitions.

Kim Jong Il became leader of North Korea by succeeding his father, who established the country as a communist state with the help of the Soviet Union in 1948. KOREA NEWS SERVICE PHOTO NEW ERV ICE PH OTO Kim Jong Il, 1995 AP PHOTO With Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 2000. Kim leaves behind a struggling economy GDP 2009 (est.) GDP per capita 2009 (est.) $1,800 $10,800 N. Korea N. Korea: $40 billion World GDP by sector 2009 (est.) GDP growth N.

KoreaWorld Agriculture Industry Services 20.7% 47.8% 31.5% 6.0% 30.9% 63.2% With a relatively large dependence on agriculture, North economy is one of the worst, especially when compared with its southern neighbor. N. KoreaS. Korea -2 2 6 6.2 SOURCES: Tribune Newspapers reporting, The Bank of Korea, CIA World Factbook, Reuters TRIUBNE NEWSPAPERS Product: CTBroadsheet PubDate: 12-20-2011 Zone: ALL Edition: HD Page: MAIN1-18 User: ejreyes Time: Color:.