The Associated Press

Published: September 10, 2006
SEOUL, South Korea North Korea is testing new medicines in Russia for Kim Jong Il, a news report said Sunday, amid reports that the North Korean leader's health has worsened and he has troubled walking.

Two people who have the same physique, shape and are the same age as Kim Jong Il are staying at a hospital in Russia and receiving new medication for diabetes and heart disease, Yonhap news agency said, citing an unnamed South Korean lawmaker who belongs to the parliamentary intelligence committee.

The lawmaker said the information was revealed by Kim Seung-gyu, director of the National Intelligence Service, at a recent parliamentary intelligence committee meeting, Yonhap said.

Officials at South Korea's top spy agency were not immediately available for comment.

Opposition lawmaker Chung Hyung-keun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, made similar comments on Wednesday.

Chung said the North Korean leader can't walk normally due to worsening diabetes, liver and heart problems, and that the 64-year-old underwent treatment at a top hospital in Beijing in January, according to Chung's office.

Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, Seoul's point man on North Korea, said Thursday that he didn't have any information on Kim's health.

It was almost impossible to independently confirm details about the North Korean leader's health as the isolated communist country strictly controls all information and denies almost all outside access.


SEOUL, South Korea North Korea is testing new medicines in Russia for Kim Jong Il, a news report said Sunday, amid reports that the North Korean leader's health has worsened and he has troubled walking.

Two people who have the same physique, shape and are the same age as Kim Jong Il are staying at a hospital in Russia and receiving new medication for diabetes and heart disease, Yonhap news agency said, citing an unnamed South Korean lawmaker who belongs to the parliamentary intelligence committee.

The lawmaker said the information was revealed by Kim Seung-gyu, director of the National Intelligence Service, at a recent parliamentary intelligence committee meeting, Yonhap said.

Officials at South Korea's top spy agency were not immediately available for comment.

Opposition lawmaker Chung Hyung-keun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, made similar comments on Wednesday.

Chung said the North Korean leader can't walk normally due to worsening diabetes, liver and heart problems, and that the 64-year-old underwent treatment at a top hospital in Beijing in January, according to Chung's office.

Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, Seoul's point man on North Korea, said Thursday that he didn't have any information on Kim's health.

It was almost impossible to independently confirm details about the North Korean leader's health as the isolated communist country strictly controls all information and denies almost all outside access.

I don't want to sound harsh but his bad health is a blessing in disguise why would koreans want him to get better after all the problems he's caused. He's just alittle tyrant wannabe tough guy who hides behind his bodyguards and spouts nonsensical nationalistic propaganda all day long. I really hope he croaks. Good riddance.

His son is gonna take over

For the love of god this man has a son

who says koreans want him to get better. I hope he dies too

Well gee I kind of got that impression when the article said that North Korea is testing medicine to help the ailing leader. If koreans don't want him to get better then why are they looking for alternatives to helping this fat bloated kimchi toad.

We don’t want North Korea into a state of chaos. I don’t see what's so bad about helping a neighbor, this will improve our relations with North Korea. It's not like once he dies, North Korea will get better. His sons are living quite comfortably, I doubt they'll give up their life of luxury. Last I heard, his youngest son is quite ambitious. Besides, who are you to talk about who's a tyrant and who's not.

We aren't doing anything to help North Korea. Read the article, where in it does it say South Korea is involved in the bastard's treatment?

Because Im not korean and Im definitely not kim jong il. You mean to tell me that things aren't going to get better when he goes as opposed to him still alive. I guess all those stories about kim jong il's regime of oppression and all those starving north koreans were just a fable then. Just try to understand something when north koreans so much as make any contact with the outside world they are executed in public because of that b*stard and he doesn't feel any remorse whatsoever and now that the tables of justice have finally turned and he's in a way I feel getting everything back to him x10 for all his bad deeds in life suddenly koreans now want to help him out. . If thats how they feel then they should really stop complaining about how bad things are over there because you either love him or you hate him there is no in between for somebody like him you guys send mixed signals when one moment you label him as an evil person then the next minute you flock to his aid. And to answer your question Kay Dis Nine I don't support tyrants or dictators anymore if they were chinese or korean evil is evil it has no cultural or racial boundaries. Just do us all favor if you feel inclined to helping out Mr kim then by all means go ahead but when he's running north korea into the ground and directly contributing to its massive famine among its own people then please shut your mouth because you and so much of those suckers felt obligated to helping him out when people like him don't deserve any. The man is no different from the saddam hussein, fidel castro, and the iranian president. The warm hearted gestures of the south are completely lost on a person like him but I'm pretty sure you'll forget all about that when he's up and about and back to his old self test firing missiles and executing innocents.