WORLD> Photo
|
WORLD> Photo
|
|
DPRK leader tours zoo in Pyongyang
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-03 10:18 Kim Jong-il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), went to the Pyongyang zoo and visited the tigers, bears and aquarium, state-run media said Tuesday, the latest in a spate of reports depicting Kim as fit three months after his reported stroke.
During the visit, Kim praised the reconstruction of the Central Zoo at the foot of Mount Taesong, calling it a treasure of the nation, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said from the capital, Pyongyang. He noted the zoo houses a variety of animals - some rare - sent as gifts from around the world, and called on zookeepers to make sure to care for them, said the report, monitored in Seoul. KCNA also released a photo showing Kim standing next to a pond, wearing a winter parka, thick gloves and sunglasses. The image shows Kim using his right hand to point to something, as a group of aides stand in a row behind him. Later yesterday, the DPRK's state-run TV released more undated photos showing a smiling Kim with other officials. Kim was seen also seen wearing his trademark sunglasses in all the photos, while his bouffant-hair looked not much different from before. On Monday, state-run television released still images of a fit-looking Kim touring a military unit, clapping and smiling. None of the reports provide an exact date for his appearances, but they appear to be recent. Yesterday's dispatch was one of the first to provide a location: Pyongyang's Central Zoo. KCNA said Kim was accompanied by top officials, including his brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, who heads the administrative department of the ruling Workers' Party. |
