Within hours of announcing North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il's death on Sunday, the country's ruling Workers' Party released a statement saying North Korea would unite Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong-un. Not much is known about Kim Jong-un, who was named his father's heir apparent last year. He is believed to be in his late twenties, and apparently went to boarding school in Switzerland. Whether the younger Kim will be able to maintain control of his country and stick to his father's brand of hard-line Communism remains to be seen. The older Kim left North Korea's economy in shambles, and thousands of people are believed to be starving.

The Takeaway continues its coverage of the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il with a look at his life and legacy with two men who have been close North Korea observers for years. Stephen Bosworth, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, served as the special representative for North Korea policy. Michael Breen is the author of one of the few English language biographies of Kim, "Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader."

Kim Jong-il, the North Korean dictator who made his isolated country a nuclear power, died on Saturday of a heart attack at age 69. State media kept the death a secret for nearly two days, suggesting a possible leadership vacuum. North Korea's ruling Workers' Party released a statement suggesting that Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, had succeeded his father. North Korea conducted a short-range missile test on Monday, according to unconfirmed reports from South Korea.

He ruled North Korea with an iron fist for 17 years. His infamous isolationism and nuclear ambitions made him a part of George W. Bush's notorious "Axis of Evil." He was one of the last Communist leaders in the world around whom a cult of personality existed. But how Kim Jong-il, the North Korean dictator, will be truly be remembered by his people is yet to be seen. Referred to as "Dear Leader," Kim sank his country into deep famine and ravaged its economy. Though media images out of North Korea may show people weeping in the streets, it's hard to know whether there is real grief behind the tears.

It was only a few years ago the Bush administration labeled Myanmar "an outpost of tyranny." But on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton became the first secretary of state to visit the repressive and isolated nation in 50 years. The Obama administration has been keen on engaging with the military-backed civilian government of Myanmar after the country made some significant democratic reforms. In the past year, elections were held for a nominally civilian government, and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest after two decades. Yet even as changes take hold in Rangoon, persecution against the country's ethnic minorities continue.

Dr. Henry Kissinger served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977. He discusses his work as the first American diplomat to enter China in 1971 after 25 years of little contact. Kissinger worked to build bilateral relations between the two countries. His new book "On China" looks at the past, present and future of a nation that is still a mystery to many of us.

China has existed as an independent state for close to 4,000 years. After a decline in the 20th Century, the large nation has risen to the ranks of a global superpower in recent decades, replacing the USSR as U.S. rival; but it has also been a partner. Many would argue that Dr. Henry Kissinger is the man to thank for China's current relationship with the West, and particularly the U.S. He joins us for more on that subject and his new book "On China," and also admits to mistakes in strategy by the Nixon Administration on the war in Vietnam.

As Washington prepares for a visit from Chinese President Hu Jintao this week, we take a look at what lies ahead in the shifting relationship between superpowers. Should we fear the "waking dragon"? We're joined by Gideon Rachman, chief foreign-affairs commentator for the Financial Times and author of "Zero-Sum Future: American Power in an Age of Anxiety," and Simon Tay, was an Asia Society 2009 Bernard Schwartz Fellow and is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. He is also the author of "Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide from America."

A national review of Japan's military forces has resulted in a change in their focus: potential threats to stability coming from China. Japanese leaders now see the military of their gargantuan neighbor as a threat to stability in the region, along with North Korea. China replied this morning to the review, condemning the move. Will the review and new focus on defense against China be a source of tension between the two countries? For more on the story we're joined by Roland Buerk, who is reporting for our partner the BBC in Tokyo. 

Events over the weekend may turn out to be game-changers for America's relationship with North Korea. The U.S. and South Korea engaged in quickly-assembled military exercises to show their ability to respond to aggression from Pyonyang. Meanwhile, cables from the latest WikiLeaks release describe a disturbing chumminess between North Korea and Iran.  

North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island yesterday morning remains somewhat of a mystery, but many have guesses as to rationales for the attack. North Korea says the South started it by firing recklessly into North Korean territory, which the South denies. Some say North Korea did it to gain international attention because of their severe food shortages. And others, like Charles Armstrong, director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, believe they want to send a simple message: that they should be taken very seriously.

President Obama arrived in Indonesia this morning, for the second stop on his 10-day trip in Asia. As he meets with world leaders in India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, the President will talk about global security, international trade and economics, improving cultural ties, diplomatic efforts and preventing terrorism. But some issues will be conspicuously missing from his public agenda.

President Obama is travelling around Asia this week, and he'll be taking a lot of very public, high-profile meetings. But what about the president's hidden agenda? 

We are just eight days away from election day, and Democrats and Republicans are campaigning at full throttle. First Lady Michelle Obama is on the West Coast, trying to win votes for Democrats in key Senate races in Washington and California.

As President Obama continues his conversations with Americans, with stops in Iowa and Virginia today, we wanted to take a moment and go global.  What do the growing middle classes in other countries look like, and what do they strive for? Today, we're focusing on India and China, two of the world's burgeoning societies. 

To help us look at both countries, we're joined by Vishakha Desai, president of Asia Society. We also talk with someone who's lived in the middle class in both China and India. Aadil Ebrahim recently moved from Hong Kong to Mumbai, where he works for an investment asset management firm.

Attitudes towards Americans and American diplomats in Pakistan have become so hostile they border on harassment, according to a new report from The New York Times.  From refusing to approve visas for over 100 U.S. officials, to what some describe as an unreasonable uptick in vehicle searches, relations between Pakistan's military services and Americans are unraveling at a crucial moment for security in the region. We talk about these strained relationships with Marvin Weinbaum, scholar at the Middle East Institue, and Shuja Nawaz, director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.

As Iran's political turmoil continues, many Iranian opposition supporters have fled to neighboring Turkey. They're escaping what Amnesty International last week described as the worst human rights situation inside Iran in twenty years.  BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne has just returned from meeting members of the Iranian opposition in exile in Turkey, some of whom still fear for their safety.

Marcus Mabry, international business editor for our partner The New York Times, and Jonathan Marcus, diplomatic correspondent for the BBC, take a look at the week ahead as President Barack Obama continues his trip through Asia, making stops in China and South Korea. They also examine what's ahead this week for health care reform, the start of Hamid Karzai's second term as president of Afghanistan, and the Republican Governors Association's annual conference.

Here's a preview of the coming week with Marcus Mabry, international business editor for The New York Times, and Chris Hogg, BBC correspondent in Shanghai. This week: a look at how the Army moves forward after the Fort Hood shootings, President Obama's upcoming trip to Asia on Thursday, and what's next for health care reform now that House Demorats' House bill has passed.

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest after an American man swam out to her lakeside home back in May. BBC Asia expert Jill McGivering tells us about the sentence and the uninvited lakeside visitor.