Kim Jong Il death rattles markets

• Published 19 Dec 2011

Markets closed down in Asia in response to the death of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and concerns over the transition of power in China's northerly neighbor. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.3%, or 6.61 points, to close at 2,218.24 while the Shenzhen Component Index slid 0.31%, or 27.86 points, to finish at 9,054.08. The dips mirrored similar slides in the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), which slid 3.43%, and the Nikkei Stock Average, down 1.26%.