Pictures of N Korean leader issued as health fears persist
The North Korean leader has been missing from major state events prompting speculation about his health
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Sunday, 02, Nov 2008 12:21
North Korea's official news agency has released previously unseen pictures of Kim Jong-il as speculation about the leader's health persist.
The chief of the authoritarian state has not been seen at important rallies which he routinely attends.
Reports of him having suffered a stroke began after he missed the 60th anniversary of the state's founding and continued after he was not in attendance at the funeral of one of the country's founding revolutionaries.
New pictures of the 66-year-old head of state watching a football match have been published by the country's official news agency.
The series of 14 pictures show him in a private box but do not feature any players or spectators.
A report from the Korean central news agency published with the pictures stated: "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."
Previously, Japan's prime minister Taro Aso has said the North Korean leader was in hospital receiving treatment but still in command of the state.
Other reports from Japanese television have claimed that Mr Jong-il had been seeing a French brain surgeon.