Kim Jong-il sucks at Photoshop...
Photo Stirs Speculation on North Korean Leader
An image of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, shown recently on government-run television appears to be a doctored version of an earlier photo, raising the possibility that Mr. Kim’s health has deteriorated to the point where he has had to skip public appearances, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday.
On June 14, the state-run Central TV showed what it said was a still photo of Mr. Kim posing with a group of soldiers indoors during a visit to a military unit. The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea’s largest newspaper, said Tuesday that it looked remarkably similar to a photo the North Korean government had said was taken April 25. The newspaper quoted unidentified intelligence officials as saying that there was “a high possibility” the April image had been recycled.
In both pictures published by Chosun on Monday, Mr. Kim stands with a group of soldiers under what looks like the same ceiling lights and the same Communist slogan. The later image, captured from television, is too blurry to make precise comparisons, but the heights and positioning of the soldiers in both images look strikingly similar, except for 13 figures who do not appear in the later picture.
Officials at the National Intelligence Service, the main South Korean spy agency, said they could not confirm the report.
South Korean analysts and media scrutinize nearly every image and statement from the North for clues about Mr. Kim’s health, a topic of intense interest since last September, when news reports surfaced that Mr. Kim, 67, had suffered a stroke in August. American and South Korean officials say that Mr. Kim appears to have designated his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor.
An image of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, shown recently on government-run television appears to be a doctored version of an earlier photo, raising the possibility that Mr. Kim’s health has deteriorated to the point where he has had to skip public appearances, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday.
On June 14, the state-run Central TV showed what it said was a still photo of Mr. Kim posing with a group of soldiers indoors during a visit to a military unit. The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea’s largest newspaper, said Tuesday that it looked remarkably similar to a photo the North Korean government had said was taken April 25. The newspaper quoted unidentified intelligence officials as saying that there was “a high possibility” the April image had been recycled.
In both pictures published by Chosun on Monday, Mr. Kim stands with a group of soldiers under what looks like the same ceiling lights and the same Communist slogan. The later image, captured from television, is too blurry to make precise comparisons, but the heights and positioning of the soldiers in both images look strikingly similar, except for 13 figures who do not appear in the later picture.
Officials at the National Intelligence Service, the main South Korean spy agency, said they could not confirm the report.
South Korean analysts and media scrutinize nearly every image and statement from the North for clues about Mr. Kim’s health, a topic of intense interest since last September, when news reports surfaced that Mr. Kim, 67, had suffered a stroke in August. American and South Korean officials say that Mr. Kim appears to have designated his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor.