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North Korea's military staged a huge funeral procession on Wednesday in the snowy streets of the capital Pyongyang for its deceased "dear leader," Kim Jong-il, readying a transition to his son, Kim Jong-un.
Pictures from state television showed a funeral cortege led by a limousine carrying a huge picture of the 69-year old, who died on Dec. 17, passing serried ranks of olive green-clad soldiers whose heads were bowed.
A hearse carrying the coffin was led by a weeping Kim Jong-un. Behind him was Jang Song-thaek, his uncle and a key power-broker in the transition. In front, on the other side of the hearse was Ri Yong-ho, the army chief of staff.
Kim Jong-un will become the third member of the family to run the isolated and unpredictable Asian country.
The coming year was supposed to mark North Korea's self-proclaimed transformation into a "strong and prosperous" nation, but it faces a dangerous transition to a young, untested leader at a time when dictatorships across the world have tumbled.