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UN flag at half mast to mourn Kim Jong Il

Xinhua, December 29, 2011

The United Nations on Wednesday flew its blue and white flag at half mast at the UN Headquarters in New York to mourn the death of Kim Jong Il, the late leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) .

The UN flag was hoisted at half mast before the UN Secretariat Building in the compound on the First Avenue in midtown Manhattan, central New York City.

In Pyongyang, the DPRK's capital, people bid their final farewell to Kim Jong Il in snowy weather on Wednesday. A ceremony to bid a last farewell to Kim Jong Il began in the Plaza of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace at 1 p.m. local time (0400GMT).

The 69-year-old leader died from "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 on a train during a field guidance tour, according to the DPRK media.

Last Thursday, the 66th session of the UN General Assembly ( UNGA) observed a minute's silence to mourn the death of Kim.

On Dec. 20, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro went to the seat of the Permanent Mission of the DPRK to the United Nations to express condolences over the passing away of the late leader.

The UN flag was also flying at half mast on Wednesday at its Geneva office and other UN agencies in various parts of the world, said UN officials.