PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL<br/> Kim Jong-il's son and heir-apparent greeted mourners in Pyongyang where the late North Korean leader is lying in state.<br/> Kim, who died at the weekend from a heart attack, is lying in a glass-topped casket surrounded by the Kimjongilia flowers named after him.<br/> On Wednesday Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited North Korea's embassy in Beijing to offer his condolences.<br/> It's a clear sign of China's determination to protect its ties with Pyongyang.<br/> The Toyko headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents has opened its gates for the first time for foreigners to pay their respects.<br/> Relations between North Korea and Japan are not easy because of several issues.<br/> In Japan there's still anger over the abduction of its citizens by North Korean agents decades ago.<br/> SOUNDBITE: Former Japanese lawmaker, Shinya Totsuka, saying (Japanese):<br/> "I hope that as soon as possible North Korea will, with Japan, deal with all the current issues including the abductees situation and I am praying that things will go back to normal for the peace and security of the North Korean people.''<br/> Tourists visiting the South Korean side of the Demilitarised Zone that separates the two Koreas also hoped for a more open North Korea.<br/> SOUNDBITE: South Korean tourist Oh Jae-nam saying (Korean):<br/> "The important thing is that Kim Jong-un should have the right mind to open up society, abandon communism, and lead the country to democracy."<br/> SOUNDBITE: Chinese tourist Zhang Feng saying (Mandarin):<br/> "I heard his son was educated in Switzerland so I expect him to have an open mind and better understanding of the world. So I hope this could become a turning point for the two Koreas, and hope they can seize the opportunity to improve their relations and become reconciled."<br/> Cuba has begun three days of mourning for Kim.<br/> The two nations have maintained diplomacy throughout Kim's rule and represent two of the world's five communist governments.<br/> Paul Chapman, Reuters
