Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-il waves after meeting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Buryatia, Russia, in this photo taken on Aug 24. [Photo/Agencies]

Condolences sent on the death of Kim Jong-il as DPRK mourns its late leader

BEIJING - China on Monday sent its condolences on the death of the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), vowing long-term friendship with its neighbor.

Pyongyang observers said that Kim Jong-il's death will not result in turbulence in the DPRK and they discounted the possibility of any conflict or escalating tension between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The DPRK's official KCNA news agency said on Monday that Kim died of a heart ailment on a train at 8:30 am on Saturday due to "great mental and physical strain" during a "high intensity field inspection". He was 69.

The condolence message sent by China said: "We are shocked to learn of Kim's death."

The message - sent by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission - called Kim a great leader of the DPRK people and a close friend of the Chinese people.

The message said Kim had dedicated the whole of his life and rendered immortal service to the DPRK's socialist revolution and construction.

It noted that the late DPRK leader had carried on and further developed the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK.

China believed that the DPRK will remain united under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea and Kim Jong-un, Kim's son, and continuously advance toward the goal of building a strong and prosperous socialist nation and achieving sustained peace on the Korean Peninsula.