And since chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill's visit to the North last week, Washington and Pyongyang have been busy negotiating behind the scenes, so this week may also turn out an important watershed for the North Korean nuclear problem.

Last Saturday and Sunday, the official North Korean press reported Kim watched a football match marking the anniversary of Kim Il Sung University, but there was no photo or video accompanying the news. The South Korean government on Monday said it has not confirmed whether the reports were factual.

The more time passes, the more North Korean denials tend to confirm rumors about Kim’s ill health. According to a senior South Korean government official, there was no evidence of any athletic meet held at Kim Il Sung University on Oct. 1, the university's anniversary day, and no football match at major stadiums in Pyongyang either. Another South Korean official said it is possible that players faced off at Kim's villa or that he watched recorded footage. “It seems that North Korean leader Kim is not in good health."

Meanwhile, reporting on Hill's visit to the North, the Chosun Shinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon, on Monday said it was possible that the North made a “bold and epoch-making suggestion” considering that there is little time left before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4. “It'll be possible to find a breakthrough if the Bush regime accepts it swiftly," the daily said. The South Korean official said, "The U.S. could make a decision on the North's suggestion and the Bush administration engage in final talks with the North directly."

(englishnews@chosun.com )