The U.S. is said to have failed to obtain the information on the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in advance.

A diplomatic source in Washington said that the U.S. government was unaware of the North Korean leader’s death until North Korean state-run media reported it on Monday.

The U.S. had been working to obtain information on what’s going on inside North Korea through intelligence satellites. But Washington failed to get a clear picture of political trends in North Korea due to the reclusiveness of the communist country.

An official on Korean Peninsula affairs at the U.S.’ Office of the Director of National Intelligence once said that analyzing the acts and intents of enemies, such as North Korea, is very difficult. He added that believing or presuming that the enemies’ motives and intents are well understood is really dangerous.