To continue getting breaking news and the full stories from The Boston Globe, subscribe today.

The Boston Globe

World

Boston.com

Kim succession raises fears

Power struggle may take place in North Korea

By Martin Fackler

 |  New York Times  

  December 20, 2011

The abrupt death of Kim Jong Il, the hermetic North Korea leader, threw the rest of Asia into deep anxiety Monday and reverberated across the Pacific, as friends and enemies of the nuclear-armed country fretted over whether it was now facing an unpredictable power struggle. The official North Korean press proclaimed that Kim’s cherubic-faced youngest son was his successor. But the son, Kim Jong Un, is such an unknown that the world did not even know what he looked like until last year.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help