2 More Photos of N. Korean Leader Released

North Korean media yesterday released two photos of leader Kim Jong Il, saying he visited two military units.

The photos released by the (North) Korean Central News Agency looked similar to "No. 1 Photos," or those containing the faces of the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and his successor, taken at military units.

In the photos released yesterday, Kim Jong Il was accompanied by 190 soldiers in one snapshot and 124 soldiers in the other. In both photos, the soldiers were evenly divided into two groups and stood on both sides of Kim.

North Korea apparently released the photos amid the U.S. presidential election to dispel U.S. concerns over Kim’s health.

The two photos clearly showed Kim’s left arm, which seemed to have had problems in previously released pictures.

The photos released yesterday showed Kim in a beige short coat with soldiers in military uniforms for autumn and winter. The photos were apparently taken in autumn since colors of foliage in the background had an autumnal tint.

Pyongyang is believed to have taken photos of Kim with soldiers to prevent the North`s population from noticing his abnormal health condition.

kyle@donga.com