[imText1]His slightly lean cheeks, thin hair and dented belly. On January 20, JoongAng Ilbo reported that it was his figure recently visiting China that the AP News camera caught.
JoongAng Ilbo explained that while in June 2000 he was energetic at the South-North Summit, he did not look as he did in the past, walking into the Beijing People’s Convention Party for the summit with Hujintao, a leader of China.
It said that the two are the same age, 64, but Kim Jong Il looked older than Hujintao.
A Korean intelligence agency official thought that he was a pyknic type, at a height of 1m65cm and weight of 80kg. However, this time, he lost substantial weight compared to the past, with slightly lean cheeks as well as thin hair.
The newspaper evaluated that his image had also changed.
In 2000, when meeting Kim Dae Jung, the former president of South Korea, he had boasted of his wit and sense of humor. Yet this time was not like that.
Park Jae Ku, the former secretary of Ministry of Unification, who met Kim Jong Il in 2000 mentioned, “Recently Kim Jong Il lost his confidence compared to the past”. According to him, “While Kim Jong Il had had a highly optimistic view on the economic and diplomatic issues in 2000, he just said last June that ‘it might work well and the relations with the U.S. might be well-resolved’.
JoongAng Ilbo reported, “Because of the consecutive deaths of his wife and close figures, he would be psychologically drained”, quoting what an expert of North Korea said.
Kim Yong Soon, the secretary in charge with economic business towards South Korea, who was Kim Jong Il’s close figure and drinking companion, as well as Eyun Hyung Mook, the former prime minister, both died in October 2003. In August 2004, Koh Young Hee, his de facto wife, passed away as well.
Plus, the nuclear issue and such crimes as counterfeit dollars and drug smuggling, raised voices on the North Korean human rights issue, and the increasing pressure on him from the international society seem to be the factors making him crestfallen.
◇ Picture explanation
In June 2000, Kim Jong Il in Sunan airport in Pyongyang (left).
In October 2005, Kim Jong Il welcoming Hujintao arriving at Pyongyang (middle).
On January 17 2006, Kim Jong Il walking into the Bejing People’s Convention Party (right).
