Anchor: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a statement concerning the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The statement carries diplomatic formality but withheld using the word “condolence.” The statement also avoids referring to any specific person but instead mentions the North's new leadership. Our Kim In-kyung tells us about the U.S. stance on North Korea behind Clinton’s words.

Report: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement late Monday local time regarding the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Clinton said the U.S. is “deeply concerned” about the well-being of the North Korean people following the death of their leader. She added the U.S. “thoughts and prayers” are with the North Korean people during these difficult times. Although the statement followed diplomatic formalities, the U.S. Secretary of State avoided mentioning the word “condolence.” In a briefing on Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the department did not consider the word "condolence" proper in this case.

Without referring to a specific person in the North, the Secretary of State went on to urge “the North’s new leadership” to meet Kim Jong-il’s pledge to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The statement expressed hope that the North’s “new leadership” will guide their nation on to “the path of peace” by holding to North Korea’s commitments, improving relations with its neighbors and respecting the rights of its people.

The Obama administration has never mentioned Kim Jong-il's third son and heir apparent Jong-un by name since North Korea announced Kim Jong-il’s death on Monday. Some analysts believe that the omission of the junior Kim's name in the statement also reflects Washington’s view that it is unclear whether he will be able to maintain his power and how the North's leadership will shape out.

Analysts say it is difficult to determine the direction of the North's new leadership, and thus the U.S. is focusing on how the new leader should act rather than who the new leader is. In his briefing on Monday local time, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said "the issue here isn't about personalities; it's about the actions of the government."

Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio News.