N. Korean leader continues public tours

SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il watched an army
volleyball game and a performance by a naval unit over the Lunar New Year
holiday, Pyongyang's news agency said Thursday.
Rampant rumors of Kim's illness seemed to subside after he appeared with a
foreign guest last week -- his first such appearance since a reported stroke last
summer. Photos of the reclusive leader talking with a visiting Chinese party
official suggested he may not be in perfect health but is well enough to govern.
Seoul's Unification Ministry described Kim's public tours in January -- totaling
11 as of Thursday -- as normal.
During his latest visit to a volleyball match held between a team of the Korean
People's Army and a selection of players, the leader stressed that the
development of sports is very important not only in increasing the nation's power
but also "in boosting the friendly ties with different countries of the world,"
the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
In a separate report, KCNA said Kim watched song and dance ensembles put on by
the naval and air commands.
The dates of Kim's two visits were not given as usual, but KCNA usually reports
on the leader's appearances the day they are made or the following day. North
Korea celebrated the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, called Seol in Korea,
from Monday through Wednesday.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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