A noticeably older-looking Kim Jong-il appeared Thursday at Pyongyang’s Mansudae Assembly Hall, the site of the first meeting of North Korea’s 12th Supreme People’s Assembly. Kim Jong-il who now is 67 years old was visibly grayer and thinner. Some outside observers suggest the wrinkles on his face look deep for his age, perhaps as a result of a large weight loss experienced within a short period of time. Intelligence authorities are attributing this to a special diet that he has been following since his recovery from a collapse caused by a cerebrovascular ailment last year.

In a recorded video of the assembly convening aired Thursday by North Korea’s Chosun Central TV, prior to the commencement of the meeting Kim appeared from the right side of the stage to receive a standing ovation from the representatives present. He proceeded to enter the hall by walking ten steps to the central seat of the main platform. He appeared to be limping slightly in his left leg, which some have suggested might be paralyzed, but he moved his arms relatively freely.

Chosun Central TV also aired footage taken of Kim providing field guidance. This video, which aired at 6 pm lasted about 40 minutes, also showed Kim walking and taking three steps around the Wonsan Youth Power Station on January 5. In this footage, he was walking with his left leg rigidly extended.

Thursday’s video marked the first same day coverage of Kim offered by a North Korean television network since speculations about Kim’s ill health emerged last August. Prior to showing the footage of his appearance at the Supreme People’s Assembly meeting, North Korea media outlets would air footage of the leader only days after an appearance had been made.

On Tuesday, Chosun Central TV also aired an edited video segment of Kim providing field guidance taken from various occasions between August and December of last year, but none of the footage showed him walking. The new images indicate that his health has since improved.

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