Monday, January 02, 2012

"N. Koreans told to go gloveless at funeral" (AFP)

The source of this, according to the article, is somebody in Pyongyang by way of "Daily NK, a Seoul-based online newspaper run by defectors":
North Korean civilians were ordered not to wear hats or gloves for the snowy funeral of leader Kim Jong-Il because his son and successor chose to escort the hearse bare-headed, a report said Tuesday. [...]

Temperatures in Pyongyang on the day of the funeral fell as low as minus nine Celsius (15 Fahrenheit), according to South Korea's weather service.

The paper said civilians were ordered not to wear hats, gloves or scarves even if it was snowing. They were reportedly warned that "behind every line there will be people watching".

Video footage of the event showed virtually no one in the vast crowd that lined the route wearing hats or gloves . . .
The Korean News site, in the meantime, reports on a "Ceremony of Bidding Last Farewell to Kim Jong Il Held":
The dear respected Kim Jong Un together with senior officials of the party, state and armed forces organs observed silence before the bier of Kim Jong Il, praying for his immortality, and went round the bier before the departure of a funeral procession.
"Praying for his immortality"? To whom?

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