US talks over Kim Jong-il death

The US has called on North Korea to pursue a "path of peace" following the death of leader Kim Jong-il. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US was ready to help the North Korean people and create lasting security on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong-il died on Saturday of a heart attack. His death was announced early on Monday by state media. His death has rattled the region. US leaders have been holding urgent talks with the communist state's neighbours. Kim Jong-il, 69, had been in the process of formalising his third son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor. But the transition had not been completed and analysts fear Mr Kim's death could triggered a period of instability in the internationally isolated nuclear-armed state. Inside North Korea, citizens appear to be mourning Mr Kim - their leader since the death of his father Kim Il-sung in 1994. But around the region countries have been holding urgent talks about what the implications of Mr Kim's death might be. "It is our hope that the new leadership of the DPRK (North Korea) will choose to guide their nation onto the path of peace by honouring North Korea's commitments, improving relations with its neighbours, and respecting the rights of its people," Mrs Clinton said in a statement. "The United States stands ready to help the North Korean people and urges the new leadership to work with the international community to usher in a new era of peace, prosperity and lasting security on the Korean peninsula." US President Barack Obama has spoken to both the South Korean and Japanese leaders to discuss the situation. Mrs Clinton also held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, in Washington for a pre-arranged visit. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, meanwhile, spoke to his South Korean counterpart early on Tuesday. The two agreed to co-ordinate closely and maintain a "strong defence posture", Yonhap news agency reported. South Korea's military has been put on alert in the wake of the announcement on Monday on North Korean state television. The government has also increased its alert level against possible cyber attacks from Pyongyang. 'Great Successor' Chinese President Hu Jintao, meanwhile, has visited the North Korean embassy in Beijing to offer his condolences, China's Xinhua news agency said. Late on Monday, the Chinese foreign minister also met the North Korean envoy in Beijing, the agency reported. China is North Korea's closest ally and its biggest trading partner. It is keen to avoid a power struggle that could bring further instability to the region or any kind of collapse that would send a tide of North Korean refugees across its border. In a statement on Monday, Beijing called on North Koreans to unite under the leadership of Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-un, hailed by North Korean media as the "Great Successor", is believed to have visited China on at least one occasion in recent months. Not much is known about the younger Kim, who is thought to be in his late twenties. He was first introduced in public as Kim Jong-il's ear-marked successor in September 2010. In North Korea, a period of official mourning for Kim Jong-il is under way. He is to be buried on 28 December. Footage from Pyongyang showed North Koreans crying and grieving for the long-time leader.