 Signs show Kim has recovered
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-13 08:09  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. DPRK's recent reports of Kim's public appearances show he is travelling with a larger entourage and meeting more people. This week he also released what is considered to be a rare dated and signed document, a Unification Ministry spokesman said. On Friday, DPRK released undated pictures of one of Kim's most recent outings, which took him to a folk village and a chicken farm. He wore a winter coat and sunglasses as he posed for pictures with numerous local officials. "DPRK seems to be trying to show that Kim Jong-il is well capable of handling state affairs and there is no internal conflict," said Koh Yu-hwan, a Dongguk University professor of DPRK studies and an expert on the DPRK's state ideology. Agencies (China Daily 12/13/2008 page11) |
