朝鲜举行金正日葬礼

North Korea has begun two days of funeral services for late leader Kim Jong-il with a huge procession in the capital, Pyongyang.

朝鲜首都平壤正在为已故领导金正日举办为期两天的葬礼。

BBC's Chris Rogers said many details of the two-day funeral had been kept secret
Footage showed tens of thousands of soldiers with their heads bowed as a giant portrait of Mr Kim was carried slowly through the streets.

His successor and third son, Kim Jong-un, walked beside the hearse（灵车） , images from state television showed.

Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on 17 December, aged 69, state media said.

He has been lying in state since then.

New line-up

No schedule was released ahead of the commemorations and no foreign delegations are attending.

But observers expected the ceremonies to echo the displays of pomp（盛况，浮华） and military might that marked the death of Mr Kim's father, Kim Il-sung, in 1994.

Kim Jong-un - who is thought to be in his late 20s and who has little political experience - was shown weeping beside the hearse as it drove through the snowy capital.

He was accompanied by his uncle, Chang Song-taek, who is expected to be a key player as the younger Kim consolidates（巩固，联合） power.

Ri Yong-ho, the army chief, also accompanied the hearse as it drove past ranks of troops. Footage also showed crowds of weeping mourners.

Foreign diplomats were told to gather at a stadium to be taken to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace - where Mr Kim has been lying in state - to see the hearse pass by.

Observers will be keenly watching the line-up over the two-day funeral to see which officials are in prominent positions.

Kim Jong-il was in the process of formalising Kim Jong-un as his successor when he died but the transition was not complete, leaving regional neighbours fearful of a power struggle in the nuclear-armed pariah（贱民） state.

In the week since Mr Kim died, state media has called Kim Jong-un the "Great Successor" and referred to him as the leader of the military and the party.

Commemorations are expected to continue on Thursday, with a three-minute silence at noon local time, followed by trains and ships sounding horns. The national memorial service will then begin.

The inter-Korean Kaesong industrial park has been closed for two days for the mourning following a North Korean request, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reports.