You’re looking at a side-by-side comparison provided by Yonhap News with images provided by NK state-run media outlet KCNA. On the left is a Kim Jong-Il, during former US President Bill Clinton’s visit to Pyongyang to secure the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. On the right, we have Kim Jong-Il with a Russian delegation taken just two days ago. As you can see, Kim looks a lot less emaciated and is clearly bouncing back from his 2008 stroke which many speculated meant the inevitable demise of the Dear Leader. Notable on the right are Kim’s heeled shoes (which we’ve talked about before) that might demonstrate that he is recovering gradually and will likely not be abdicating the throne anytime soon.
Source: The Chosun Ilbo (courtesy of LiberateLaura on Twitter)
1 comment
kushibo
May 19, 2011 at (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is not at all surprising, considering what devastated him before was a stroke. Lots of people, assuming they are still ambulatory following the stroke, recover in this way.
By the way, I had a fun couple posts doing captions of the picture in your banner (here and here).