Emaciated Kim Jong Il

Amid a growing rumor that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il (65) is in bad health, he appeared before the media on July 3. Foreign news outlets reported him meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who returned from Pyongyang on July 4.

A video clip of him was released for the first time in 70 days since he made an appearance on April 25 at Kim Il Sung Plaza to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People`s Army and waved back to a cheering crowd.

He didn’t look ill enough to have difficulty in walking. But he looked emaciated compared to April, and his thinning hair also caught people’s eyes, which triggered a rumor that his heart disease and diabetes were worsening.

A heart specialist at Sinchon Severance Hospital said, “Those who get bypass surgery to treat myocardial infarction need one or two months to regain their health. During that period, they often have difficulties in eating and walking, and lose weight and hair.”

Starting this year, overseas media outlets, including Japan’s Sukangentai and Britain’s Daily Telegraph have reported that Kim is suffering from serious illnesses such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetes, myocardial infarction, and visceral ischemia.

Some asserted that the defect in his knee joints made him suffer difficulty walking. But an official at the National Intelligence Service said, “The fact that he met with the Chinese foreign minister is evidence that his health is generally good. It seems that he is not in bad condition; only aging makes him look weak.”

triplets@donga.com