North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il died on Monday, leaving the future of his totalitarian state in doubt.

A 75-year-old retired salesman of construction materials, John Kim from South Korea, found out about the death of the dictator from a newspaper. "The problem is who is going to be the leader," John Kim said.

"His son is too young. A man can't control the country that young. It's impossible," he added.

John Kim thinks conflicts within North Korea's government leaders and military might arise over who will lead the country.

"South and North Korea must be unified peacefully," he said. He wishes for the country's unification despite the absence of Kim.

He has heard about Kim's death on TV news last Sunday evening. "It's big news," he said. "Big, big news."

The U.S. government closely monitored North Korea for any signs of unsteadiness or strange military actions during the death of its longtime ruler. Officials from the U.S. are worried that this incident may trigger troubles in succession. Kim's passing might also pull off efforts to convince Pyongyang to discard the nuclear weapons program.

Sun Woo An, an owner of the Korean Book Center in Koreatown Plaza, puts out some copies of Korean-language newspapers featuring Kim Jong Il's image.

"In North Korea, he is the owner, not the president. He is the king, the god of North Korea," he said of Kim. "He is not dead. People say he is not dead. Death is when the body is gone, but his spirit is in North Korea."

He hopes for peace between South and North Korea. He wishes that the dictator's passing will be a factor in improving the relationship between these two conflicting countries.