TOKYO — In what has become a rare event in North Korea, the country’s leader, Kim Jong-Il, appeared Wednesday on state television as he attended a memorial service for his late father, Kim Il-Sung, the nation’s founding dictator.
Kim, 67, who suffered a stroke last summer, appeared sickly and emaciated in a video clip from the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station.
There have been widespread but unconfirmed reports in the South Korean and Japanese press that Kim had a second health setback in recent months. Kim reportedly has selected his third son, Kim Jong-Un, who is just 26, to be his successor at some unknown point. North Korea’s belligerence this year may be part of the succession drama, analysts say, as Kim demonstrates that his son can be a strong leader.
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