Kim Jong-il
North Korean leader |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
A North Korea watcher said Sunday that Kim Jong-il appears to be suffering from post stroke depression (PSD).
The latest update about the health of the North Korean leader differs from what those who met with Kim in person last year, such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian musician Oleg Ovsyannikov, have said.
Both Clinton and Ovsyannikov were quoted as saying that Kim was in good health after meeting with him last August and September, respectively.
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute, said North Korean officials are skeptical over whether Kim can survive for much more than five years, as complications have caused him to suffer from one disease after another.
In an article that he will present at a seminar Monday, Cheong said that Kim is showing signs of PSD.
Neurologists say that PSD patients find it hard to control their tears and that some may resort to heavy smoking or drinking to make them feel at ease.
Cheong said Kim is reportedly unable to hold back his tears in front of his bodyguards.
"Kim was smoking in a video clip released by North Korea's Central News Agency last February when he visited a tobacco factory in Hoeryeong, North Hamgyeong Province," said the North Korea watcher.
Kim used to be a heavy smoker when he was young but quit in 2001.
He encouraged North Koreans to stop smoking, warning that "Smoking is as lethal and dangerous as a gun pointed at your heart."
The North Korean leader has also reportedly been drinking strong alcoholic drinks during dinners with foreign delegates.
"Kim's frequent on-site visits last year may have had something to do with depression after a stroke. Neurologists recommended PSD patients to get as much exercise as possible to prevent insomnia at night," Cheong said.
Kim showed up in public more last year than in 2008, engaging in activities such as visiting factories or touring cities.
North Korea experts interpreted this as a sign that the North was trying to signal to the outside world that its leader was in good health and dismiss the rumors of a power struggle.
"Kim's health has been deteriorating and he is reportedly finding it hard to find peace of mind. Accordingly, high ranking officials in the North are skeptical about his full recovery from illness and some even forecast that Kim might be unable to live for than five years," said Cheong.
Clinton, who visited Pyongyang last August for the release of two American journalists, said Kim was healthy and in full control of his government.
National Security Advisor James L. Jones was quoted as saying that Kim seemed to be in control of his faculties and sounded very reasoned during the meeting.
Russian musician Oleg Ovsyannikov, who visited the North last September for a concert commemorating the 61st anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, told Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun last year that "Kim's memories and speech were clear" and that he moved both of his hands freely and smoked cigarettes.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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