Assorted Reactions to the Death of Kim Jong-Il
Me: Finally, we’ll have something to talk about in my conversation class.
My conversation class student: I hear the son is worse than the father.
Coworkers at lunch: Not saying much, but hearing his name and South Korea’s president Lee Mynug-Bak’s name thrown around. But certainly there’s no panic in the lunchroom.
My Coteacher after I told her: No way! Where did you hear this? (the BBC – CNN had yet to mention it on their international headlines.)
Some students: Who cares!?! We want to play Halli Galli!!!
Friends on Facebook: Equal parts panic and gallows humor alongside Team America clips and quotes of “Ding dong, the witch is dead”. One or two asked when I would be leaving Korea.
Me (hearing loudspeaker truck drive by making an announcement): Is that important or is that just someone selling bananas?
Yesterweird 
In our household, younger daughter had been reading up on North Korea (she’d recently moved from interested in Korea generally and North Korea in particular to *very* interested), and her reaction was a grim, “Still doesn’t mean things will change for the better over there.” Older son was full of the gallows humor you mentioned. Husband and I were wondering how many times they can play the radio clip of the N. Korean announcer collapsing in tears. Younger daughter reminded us that public wailing is mandatory.
I agree with your younger daughter. NKtoday.com is a pretty interesting site for North Korean news. They seem to be reacting with paranoia, “testing” missiles and closing the border with China.
I’ll pass along that site to her, in case she doesn’t already know about it.