At a busy Korean grocery story in Oakland, shoppers said they were shocked when they learned of the North Korean leader's death. Yul Huh, a general contractor, said the first thing he did on Sunday was call family members in South Korea.
"Everybody's scared of the situation," said Huh. "Everybody say it's more difficult after Kim Jong Il die."
Kim died Saturday morning of a heart attack while on a train trip, according to a statement by the country's official news agency.
Huh says his family worries the change in leadership will destabilize the region, making relations between the two Koreas less predictable. His family also worries about how the new leader, Kim Jong-Un, will compare to his father.
But shopper Young Kim said he welcomed the news of Kim Jong Il's passing.