The Wall Street Journal sent a reporter to interview some of the North Korean owners of restaurants in China about the death of their "dear leader" Kim Jong-Il. Their reactions tended to be akin to the reactions shown on national TV.
At the D.P.R. Korean Restaurant in Shanghai:
"A lone woman in a black sweater – presumably the manager – sat sobbing at the table furthest from the door. With a vacant stare and warming her hands on a cup of tea, the woman’s eyes were puffy and red. The noise of would-be patrons brought four younger women out from a back room. All were wearing traditional choson-ot and likewise had moist eyes and sullen faces."
Another restaurateur, when confronted with the news, simply replied "it is fake."
The story was much different in the Untied States. A former North Korean-spy turned sausage restaurant owner replied "I'm so happy," when asked for her reaction to Kim's death.
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