THE postponement of the funeral of the late North Korean President Kim Il-sung from today to Tuesday could be the first sign that the Kim dynasty is experiencing difficulty in establishing itself.
A mass rally memorial service, now set for Wednesday, will more clearly indicate which way things are going as the new Great Leader, Kim Jong-il, seeks to grasp the power long wielded by his father.
Some sources dismiss fears of trouble, saying the dynastic succession is proceeding, and that father and son had such a long time to establish it, that it is unlikely their handiwork can be quickly undone.
Nevertheless, the postponement is curious to say the least. It has to be set against the twin facts that the Korean Worker's Party (KWP) Central Committee and the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) have either been meeting, or have met, since their members were urgently called to Pyongyang immediately after Kim Il-sung's death.
The North Korean people have not been told anything about the meetings. There has been no announcement that the KWP has appointed Mr Kim as secretary-general or that the SPA has made him North Korea's new president.
It has been assumed that these announcements that the son had inherited his father's remaining titles (Mr Kim is already commander-in-chief of the armed forces) were being delayed until after the funeral.