Tue, June 30, 2009
SEOUL: A photo of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) leader recently shown on Pyongyang's state TV appears to be a doctored version of one published in April by the country's official news agency - a possible sign his health is worsening - according to media reports Monday.
A still photo of 67-year-old Kim Jong Il visiting an army unit, shown on state TV on June 14, is nearly identical to an April 25 military group shot of Kim, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified intelligence officials who said there was a "a high possibility" the April image was recycled.
Officials at the National Intelligence Service, Republic of Korea (ROK)'s main spy agency; the Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with DPRK; and the president's office said they could not confirm the report.
Kim's health has been the focus of keen attention since he reportedly suffered a stroke last August without publicly naming a successor. He looked gaunt in an April appearance in parliament.
A string of provocative moves - including an April rocket launch, a May nuclear test and continuing threats to launch another long-range missile - are believed linked to a succession campaign under way in DPRK as Kim seeks to shore up national unity before tapping his youngest son as the nation's next leader.
Earlier this month, ROK's spy agency told lawmakers that Pyongyang notified its diplomatic missions and government agencies overseas that 26-year-old son Kim Jong Un was in line to succeed him.
The Chosun Ilbo said intelligence authorities reported their assessment of recent photos of Kim to ROK's presidential Blue House, prompting officials to keep a close watch on Kim's health.
In both photos, which the newspaper published, Kim stands with a group of soldiers with the same ceiling lights above them and a banner calling for loyalty to the leader behind them.
The positioning of many of people in the photos is largely the same - except for a dozen figures who do not appear in the later image. No exact date for the June photo was provided in the Korean Central News Agency report.
A third photo, also published on June 14, shows Kim wearing a winter jacket during the height of summer.
Nam Ju-hong, a DPRK expert at Seoul's Kyonggi University, said Kim made so many public appearances this year while recovering from his stroke - probably to allay public concerns and media speculation about his health - that he may have collapsed again. The Unification Ministry said last week that Kim has made 77 public appearances this year, compared with 49 during the same period last year.
Paik Hak-soon, an analyst at the Sejong Institute think tank outside Seoul, said the photos looked identical but suggested it was premature to conclude Kim's health had worsened on the basis of one photo.
(Agnecies)
