Signs show Kim has recovered

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been using a flurry of recent media dispatches to show its people that Kim Jong-il is firmly in control after reports their leader suffered a stroke, a Republic of Korea (ROK) official said on Friday.

US and ROK officials have said Kim, 66, suffered a stroke in August.

On Thursday, a French doctor was quoted in French newspaper Le Figaro as saying Kim had suffered a stroke but did not undergo an operation and is now better.