By Kim Se-jeong
Staff reporter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's appearance, captured en route to China for his current visit, has provided strong evidence of his deteriorating health due to a past stroke and diabetes.

According to video footage filmed by a Japanese media outlet, the 68-year-old's left leg seemed paralyzed and was being dragged along.

``Not only the left leg, but his left arm was almost motionless compared to the right arm, which indicates that he is suffering from the after-effects of a stroke,'' said Min Yang-ki, a neurologist from Hallym University's Medical Center, said Tuesday. Kim was reported to have had a stroke in April 2008.

In addition, Kim appeared to have lost hair and weight, which, some medical experts said is a result of kidney dialysis. He is known to have been on dialysis since May last year. But others said it could simply be a symptom of aging.

The reason the video footage has drawn so much attention is because it has provided a realistic glimpse of Kim's health, confirming circling rumors.

When it comes to North Korea, many stories start with speculation backed up by little evidence.

Likewise, stories related to Kim's health began with thin evidence, including testimonies from European doctors who claimed to have traveled to the hermit country to perform surgery on him.

Although video footage or photos from North Korea have previously been available, they were too few, and even those released were often fabricated or edited before their release.

When the news of his health problems and surgery first broke in 2008, the North's state media released images of a healthy Kim to counteract the mounting speculation. They later turned out to be outdated.

A group of medical staff is believed to have accompanied the North Korean leader on his visit to Beijing.