the korean central news agency says kim died on tuesday at the age of 73. >> translator: kim yang-on secretary of the workers party passed away at 6:30 a.m. on december 29th in a traffic accident. he was 73 years old. he was one of the closest fellow soldiers and loyal comrades of our supreme leader. >> kim had been in charge of relations with south korea since 2007. he attended high level talks. experts suggest kim's death won't affect north korea's policy toward the south, but the news agency described his passing as a huge loss. it reported kim jong-un will assume the top post of the funeral committee members. analysts say he'll use it to demonstrate his leadership and call for national unity. >>> chinese leaders have scrapped the country's decades old one child policy this year to maintain stable economic growth. under the old law, couples having more than one baby had to pay a heavy fine. now they're free to have a second, but that freedom comes at a cost. >> reporter: this company in beijing produces educational materials for toddlers. through its online store, the firm sells st

released surrounding the car crash that killed kim yang gon. >> kim yang gom and deputy to the secret people's assembly of the people's republic of korea died at 6:15 onecember 29 at the age of 73. kim yang gon was north korea's most senior officials. he was a negotiator that helped to create talks between south korea. the south korean government has paid tribute to his skill and hard work during those talks. >> we offer our condolences over the death of kim yang gom who worked with south korea to achieve a meaningful agreement in the talks held in august. >> kim yang gon was north korea's leader kim jong-un's closest comrade and revolutionary partner. but his death has raised questions about what is happening inside north korea's secretive government. south korean officials say that kim jong-un has executed 70 senior officials including his uncle since becoming supreme leader four years ago. the kim yang gon's funeral will take place on thursday. it's not known what his death will mean for north korea and it's relationship with south korea. >>> hundreds gathered outside of the japanese embassy in seoul demanding a personal apology were prime minister

. >> kim yang gon, died sadly in a traffic accident at 6:15, december 29th, at the age of 73. >> he was oneof kim jong-un's most senior officials and played an important role in negotiations with south korea. he helped to ease tensions between the two sides after an explosion at the border of north korea. south korea noted his skill and hard work during those talks. >> kim yang gon achieved meaningful agreement. >> kim yang gon was north korea's leader kim jong-un's closest comrade and solid revolutionary partner. but his death is raising questions about what is happening inside of north korea's secretive government. officials say that ki kim jong-un has executed many leaders including his uncle since taking position. it's not clear what this death will mean for north korea and it's relations with its neighbor. al jazeera. >> now, there have been demonstrations in the south can ran capital over the issue of comfort women. hundreds gathered out of the japanese embassy in seoul demanding an apologize. comfort women were forced into sex slavery during the second world war. >> we urge to aftern

kim yang-gon. you see the leader in these photos. in one picture he's bowing toward the casket.he's leaning over his comrade, his face grief stricken as state news agency points out several times. but you see they have the pomp and circumstance attending this funeral as would befit a state funeral. however, this doesn't quiet some of the skeptics. there have been people asking a lot of e questions about how exactly kim yang-gon died. they're saying it's a car accident, but he's certainly not the highly placed north korean official to die in such a way. his predecessor died the same way. people who watch north korea closely are pointing to the fact that earlier this year we heard south korean officials say that have evidence that at least 70 high government officials in north korea have died by execution since kim jong-un took power. these are claims that cnn cannot independently confirm, but interesting to see the pictures coming out of this funeral. interesting to see the message from state news that this is somebody who was respected by the regime, somebody who had been royal