Kim Jong Il appearance is reported
North Korea’s state news agency reported a public appearance by reclusive leader Kim Jong Il for the first time in nearly two months, an absence that prompted speculation he was seriously ill.
Kim watched a university soccer game, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday. It did not mention his health or when he made the appearance.
The 66-year-old leader had not been seen in public since mid-August. U.S. and South Korean officials said last month that Kim had suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery. North Korea has denied that he was ill.
Kim’s failure to appear for two key occasions, a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of North Korea and the Korean Thanksgiving holiday, reinforced the notion that he was seriously ill and raised questions about leadership of the isolated communist country.
The news agency said Kim, accompanied by other officials, watched the game marking the 62nd anniversary of his alma mater, Kim Il Sung University, named for his late father, the founder of North Korea.
The report did not say when or where the game was played or whether Kim and the other officials attended in person or watched it televised from another location.
It said that after the game he congratulated the two teams.
The report could not immediately be verified.
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