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North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il dies
North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il died Saturday during a train journey
"from a great mental and physical strain". He was 69, the
country's official KCNA news agency reported Monday.
Kim died "from a great mental and physical strain at 08.30 Dec 17,
2011, on train during a field guidance tour", said the report. » |
New Delhi: India is
closely watching developments in North Korea following the death
of its longtime leader Kim Jong-il, which could improve New
Delhi's ties with the reclusive country whose nuclear programme
and its export of missile technology to Pakistan have been a cause
of much concern here.
New Delhi is watching the events in North Korea closely, said
official sources.
Kim Jong-il, the supreme leader of nuclear-armed North Korea, died
Saturday during a train journey. He was 69.
Reports from Pyongyang strongly indicate that Kim's youngest son
Kim Jong-un has succeeded as the ruler of the country.
Not many are expecting any dramatic change in the power structure,
but Kim's successor could bring in his own people and change some
policies to consolidate his power base.
The death of Kim Jong-il comes at a time when India's relations
with North Korea, which have always been shadowed by Pyongyang's
covert export of missile technology to Islamabad through
Pakistan's A.Q. Khan network, have shown some signs of
improvement.
In March this year, India was quick to respond to a food crunch in
North Korea by providing $1 million through the World Food
Programme. Pyongyang lauded India's timely assistance.
For the first time in the last decade, North Korean foreign
minister visited the Indian embassy at the Republic Day function
in Pyongyang Jan 26. A few days later, the North Korean vice
foreign minister invited the Indian ambassador for dinner, said
sources, citing these instances as a warming of ties between the
two countries.
In May, a team from North Korea visited India to explore the
Indian experience in setting up special economic zones. In August,
India and North Korea held foreign office consultations and
decided to intensify bilateral ties.
India and North Korea established diplomatic relations way back in
1973 and have maintained embassies in each other's capitals. Many
North Koreans receive training annually in India in diverse
fields, including IT and science and technology.
However, the relations never blossomed due to North Korea's closed
system and its ties with the military leadership in Pakistan that
extended to covert nuclear tie-ups.
India's bilateral trade with North Korea is around half a billion
dollars, a paltry amount compared to New Delhi's over $10 billion
trade with South Korea.
India also sees North Korea's nuclear ambitions and its covert
nuclear programme as a threat to regional security.
In 1999, India impounded North Korean vessel MV Ku Wol San off
Kandla port and found that it was carrying 177 tonnes of missile
components, blueprints and manuals.
In May 2009, India was quick to condemn the nuclear test conducted
by North Korea and voiced its concerns about its adverse impact on
peace and security in the region.
"For (North Korea) to conduct such a test in violation of its
international commitments would be unfortunate," External Affairs
Minister S.M. Krishna said May 25, 2009.
With India's growing trade with South Korea and its improving ties
with North Korea, the US has been discussing the North Korean
situation with New Delhi in a bid to broaden regional efforts to
denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
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