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South Korean and the U.S. intelligence authorities believe North Korean leader Kim Jong-il did make the semi-public appearances the North has been reporting in recent weeks, despite ill health apparently brought about by a stroke.
A senior South Korean intelligence officer on Sunday said Kim's personal armored train did travel to the areas where Kim was said to have made the visits. "Based on the information we gathered, we think it is highly likely that he actually visited these cities," he said.
Both South Korean and the U.S. intelligence agencies reconnoitered the movement of Kim's personal train with the KH-12 satellite, the U-2 scout plane, and South Korea's Kumgang spotter plane, and confirmed that the train was moving.
Another government source said circumstantial evidence suggests that Kim was hospitalized in the elite Ponghwa Hospital after his stroke in mid-August and discharged from the hospital between early and mid-October.
North Korea released as number of photos of Kim of varying persuasiveness but no video footage, giving rise to rumor that he was severely incapacitated or removed from power.
Meanwhile, the official Korean Central News Agency for six days in a row reported on Kim's visit to Jakang Province, where he was said to have inspected a ceramics factory.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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