Unification Minister reports Kim Jong-il’s health is ‘not declining’

Posted on : 2011-02-22 14:27 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Hyun In-taek also revealed that he believes Kim has maintained control of the military leadership
 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. (Yonhap News Agency)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. (Yonhap News Agency)

By Son Won-je, Staff Writer 

 

Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s health is not poor: that Kim is not recovering quickly, but that his health is also not declining.

Government officials also said Hyun explained that while some were asking if Kim had lost control over the military leadership, the situation had not reached that point. In response to Kim Jong-un, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission of Workers Party of Korea, Hyun said it appeared he was studying hard to succeed his father, and that while it was possible he might be given a more official title at an important opportunity such as Kim Il-sung’s birthday, but he would probably official ascend as successor after firmly and decisively building his authority.

Hyun also said it is believed that the policy deciding influence of the North Korean military leadership was far greater than that of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland or the Foreign Ministry. And that recently, it has even wielded influence on foreign policy. North Korea is establishing jointly-run companies to draw foreign capital, but there have been no results and Pyongyang has been unable to make political decisions in regards to the issue, he said.

Minister Hyun also said North Korea’s food shortages were serious. He said they are short about 1 million tons of food a year, and this has continued for the last three years, so despite the shame, Pyongyang has been making diplomatic rounds, begging countries around the world for food.

The United States’ Radio Free Asia recently reported that in order to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, North Korea had completely quarantined Pyongyang and was engaging in disease control.

  

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