North Korean DMZ: Flag at half mast since Leader’s death

The North korea flag hoistering atop the world’s third tallest flagpole on the North Korean side of the DMZ is 160 metres (525 feet) tall and flies a 270kg (595 lbs) flag.

The DMZ which is also known as “truce village,”is the only area of the DMZ where South and North Korean soldiers stand face-to-face.

The flag had been at half mast since North Korea’s announcement of the death of its leader Kim Jong-il.

The border has divided the two countries since the Korean War, not only in political ideology, but also in wealth.

Economists estimate that the per capita income in the South is more than 17 times higher than in the North.

South Korea’s economy is now an estimated 40 times bigger than its neighbour’s, it is the world’s most wired society and its popular culture enjoys huge success in Asia and beyond.

In contrast, North Korea can barely feed itself, cannot even do simple overseas bank transactions because of tight international sanctions following a series of missile and nuclear tests, and spends huge effort on building up a personality cult to underpin the ruling dynasty that this week passed to Kim Jong-il’s son, Kim Jong-un.

As Kim the North Korean leader passes on, his youngest son Kim Jong-un has been touted to take conrol of the government but unlike his grandfather and father who ruled alone, it appears Jong-un will have to share power, or at least rely on powerful figures such as his uncle, Jang Song-thaek.
Kim Jong-il’s funeral is scheduled to take place on December 28.