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Kim Jong-il shown at soccer match
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-03 07:30 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) official media said Sunday its leader Kim Jong-il attended a soccer match and released photographs showing him smiling and looking healthy.
"After watching the match, Kim Jong-il congratulated the footballers on their success in the match, expressing great satisfaction over a high level of the game played by them," the DPRK's KCNA news agency said, without mentioning when the match was played. Kim, 66, is seen wearing sunglasses and sitting in what appears to be a special viewing box in one of the photographs provided by the Republic of Korea's (ROK) unification ministry. The ministry declined to comment on the pictures. In the undated pictures, one of which shows him standing and talking, Kim wears autumn clothes and has a full head of hair, even though intelligence sources said he may have had brain surgery in August. Kim was absent from ceremonies in September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the DPRK's founding. There were reports that he suffered a stroke in August. Last month, the DPRK's official media reported for the first time in about 50 days that Kim had made public appearances, but experts said photos released then may have been shot months earlier, fuelling more speculation about his health. KCNA said in its report yesterday that a number of high-ranking Party and military officials attended the soccer match with Kim. Yesterday afternoon, DPRK state television showed an undated still photo of what it said is Kim watching a football match between two army-affiliated teams. Kim is shown smiling, wearing his trademark sunglasses with a brown jacket and black pants, but scenes of any football match are not visible. The DPRK TV broadcast 13 other shots showing Kim in the same clothes talking with people near a field, although no football players are seen. The rest of photos show stand-alone scenes of a football match near a small hill with trees showing autumn foliage. An unidentified DPRK anchorwoman said that Kim attended the football match between Mangyongbong and Jebi teams of the Korean People's Army together with top military officers and Workers' Party officials. She did not say when and where the game was played. Kim last week failed to attend the funeral of one of the most senior members of the state, the ROK said, again raising questions if he is fit enough to appear in public. Kim has attended funerals for lower-ranking Party officials before but did not attend the ceremony for one of the state's top-ranking cadres who was one of the DPRK's old-guard revolutionaries that helped found the state. Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said intelligence indicated that Kim was probably in hospital but still in control. The ROK's spy chief said Kim was on the mend and still calling the shots. |
