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Efforts to Show Off Kim's Health Raise More Eyebrows

Observers can't tell whether recently released photos are legit

By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 6, 2008 4:30 PM CST

(Newser) – Recently released photos of Kim Jong-il are baffling observers, who still speculate the North Korean leader may have suffered a stroke despite officials’ insistence otherwise, the New York Times reports. One photo has green foliage, although North Korea’s trees are now sporting autumn colors; in another, Kim’s left hand appears immobile—hinting at a stroke.

Still other photos indicate otherwise, with red-and-gold leaves and an alert, clapping Kim. Either way, the photos point to Kim’s sensitivity to how the rest of the world sees him, analysts say. “The fact that the North is going to such lengths to demonstrate that Kim Jong-il is OK is, ironically, a sign that his health is not normal,” one suggests.


North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, wearing glasses, watches a soccer game between teams of the (North) Korean People's Army.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, wearing glasses, watches a soccer game between teams of the (North) Korean People's Army.   (AP Photo)
Inconsistent shadows in this photo have led some observers to speculate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il was digitally added.
Inconsistent shadows in this photo have led some observers to speculate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il was digitally added.   (AP Photo)
In one of the state-released photos, leader Kim Jong Il, wearing trademark sunglasses, is seen talking with officers during his visit to a squadron of the army at an undisclosed location.
In one of the state-released photos, leader Kim Jong Il, wearing trademark sunglasses, is seen talking with officers during his visit to a squadron of the army at an undisclosed location.   (AP Photo/Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service)
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, right, is seen in this undated still from a video released Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 by the North's official Korean Central Television.
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, right, is seen in this undated still from a video released Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 by the North's official Korean Central Television.   (AP Photo/KCT TV via APTN)
In an undated photo released today, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is seen saluting in response to cheers during his visit to an army unit at an undisclosed location.
In an undated photo released today, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is seen saluting in response to cheers during his visit to an army unit at an undisclosed location.   (AP Photo)
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It’s Kim Jong-il’s way of responding to the intense outside attention to him. He is a man very sensitive to how the outside world views him. - Ryoo Kihl-jae, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul

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