DPRK declares Kim 'supreme leader' (2)

Countries should give incentives for the DPRK's stability and development, instead of provoking the new leadership, Chen Qi, an expert on East Asia studies at Tsinghua University, said.

Koh Yoo-hwan, an expert at Dongguk University, told Yonhap news agency that support from neighboring countries is important to Pyongyang's development.

"It is crucial for neighboring states to help the DPRK. To this end, the US, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and other nations can help it open up without its security being undermined.

"We need to assure the DPRK that opening will lead to economic achievements, which will then help strengthen the legitimacy of the new leadership."

The first test of the new leadership will likely be the third round of talks between the DPRK and the US that was originally scheduled for Dec 22 but postponed due to Kim Jong-il's death on Dec 17.

Experts said the postponed talks will likely be held in January.

Lim Sung-nam, Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator had a meeting with US special envoy to the DPRK, Glyn Davies, in Washington, days after Lim's talks with Chinese diplomats in Beijing.

In their first meeting since the death of Kim, the top ROK and US nuclear envoys agreed on Wednesday to resume talks with the DPRK if the "right conditions" are created, according to an official from the ROK.