N. Korean leader's absence from public view ties record

BEIJING, Oct. 2 Kyodo - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's absence from public view marked 49 days Thursday, tying the longest period on record amid reports that he is recovering from a health setback.

The official Korean Central News Agency closed Thursday's service in the
evening with no report on the leader's public appearance that day.
Kim's last activity in public was Aug. 14, when state media reported that he
inspected a military unit.
While it is not unusual for the North Korean leader to disappear from public
view for extended periods of time, 49 days equals the record set in 2003 as the
longest since he became head of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in 1997.
The disappearance from February to April 2003 started in the run-up to the war
in Iraq, sparking rumors Kim was concentrating on monitoring developments of
the U.S.-led military operation.
Kim has also been absent for more than 40 days two other times in 2003 and once
in 2006.
The latest absence has been the source of speculation that he may have suffered
a health problem. That view intensified after he stayed away from a military
parade held Sept. 9 to mark the 60th anniversary of the country's foundation, a
major event.
South Korean officials have said he is recovering from a stroke.
Even during the time Kim has remained out of public view, he has been reported
by KCNA as having sent messages to foreign leaders, most recently Tuesday to
those in China for the country's national day on Wednesday.
While changes in titles in state-run media reports are an indicator of
political developments in North Korea, none have been observed for Kim, who
continues to be referred to as head of the ruling party and chairman of the
powerful National Defense Commission.
==Kyodo