Pro-Pyongyang daily denies allegations of Kim's illness By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- The daily of a Japan-based pro-Pyongyang group denied rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's health problems on Wednesday, claiming the communist country's news media refrained from covering Kim's public activities due to high tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"There have been times when the supreme leader's activities have not been made
public through news media for certain periods when confrontation between the DPRK
and the United States has intensified and tension has risen on the peninsula,"
Choson Sinbo reported.
The Korean language daily said Kim's notable absence from a parade in Pyongyang
marking North Korea's 60th anniversary last Tuesday prompted a variety of
"arbitrary interpretations and speculation" on his health.
Kim, 66, has not appeared in public for more than a month since Aug. 14 when he
reportedly visited a North Korean military unit.
South Korea's main intelligence agency said Kim suffered a stroke in the middle
of last month, but that he is recovering well enough to brush his teeth by
himself and stand on his feet if assisted. Seoul's Unification Ministry dealing
with North Korean affairs notes, however, they have yet to verify the
intelligence report. There has been no report on Kim's health from Pyongyang's
state-run news media since it became a hot issue worldwide.
The organ of Chongryon, or the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean
Residents in Japan, is known to represent the position of Pyongyang.
sshim@yna.co.kr