One thing hasn't changed in the dynamic of the two Koreas: The North wants its richer neighbor to pump in much-needed cash in the form of investments, reports the New York Times. The head of North Korea's parliament today pressed the issue when speaking with Lee Hee-ho, the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who paid a visit to offer her condolences. The two nations actually had a deal in place a few years ago for such investments, but it got scotched by the South in 2008 over the North's nuclear program.
New leader Kim Jong Un apparently avoided policy when greeting both Lee and another visitor from the South, Hyun Jeong-eun of Hyundai-Asan. "Thank you for coming a long way," he reportedly told Lee. "He's just as you see him in the media," added Hyun. The state funeral for Kim Jong Il is scheduled for tomorrow, and it should be an epic affair, notes the National Post. (More North Korea stories.)