North Korean leader Kim Jong-il made his first public appearance in nearly two months, state media reported, an announcement analysts suggested was aimed at quelling speculation about his health amid tensions over the country’s nuclear program.
US and South Korean officials said last month that Kim had suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery, but North Korea has denied he was ill.
North Korea’s radio and TV stations reported yesterday that Kim, 66, watched a university soccer match in what appeared to be his first public outing since mid-August. A similar story was reported by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday.
The reclusive leader attended the game marking the 62nd anniversary of his alma mater, Kim Il-sung University, named for his late father. Reports said he congratulated the two teams after the match, but did not say anything about his health condition or exactly when he made the appearance.
An official at South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said Kim may have watched the match within the last three days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office policy.
Analysts in South Korea said yesterday the reports may have sought to show Kim is healthy enough to run the country and make final decisions on key issues, including the nuclear standoff with the US and other regional powers.
The reports are “an expression of the North’s confidence that Kim is now ready to return to the public eye,” said Kim Keun-sik, a North Korea expert at South Korea’s Kyungnam University.
“Kim Jong-il is probably weighing over when to make a full-fledged public appearance by considering some factors like the nuclear issue,” Kim Keun-sik said.
KCNA’s last mention of Kim Jong-il appearing publicly was on Aug. 14, about the time North Korea stopped disabling its Yongbyon nuclear plant and began reassembling the facility. The US dispatched nuclear envoy Christopher Hill to North Korea last week, but his trip made little progress in resolving the impasse.
Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University, said he believes Kim does not want the nuclear talks to be complicated by “his health factor.”
Kim is attempting to show the international community he is still firmly in control of his country’s nuclear programs, Koh said.
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