"There is reason to believe Kim Jong Il has suffered a serious health set back, possibly a stroke," a Western intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press.
AP also reported:
A senior U.S. official said rumors had been circulating for weeks about the state of Kim's health and his control over North Korea's highly centralized government.
That official said the United States has no independent confirmation that Kim is ill, but that Kim's absence lends credence to reports that he is suffering and may no longer be in a position to command the absolute authority he had wielded.
"What we do know is that he was not at the military parade," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity about the administration's internal assessment of the situation. "That is quite unusual and reinforces a lot of what we've been hearing."
Mark Mazzetti and Choe Sang-Hun of The New York Times reported that American diplomats said there is no clear succession plan in place in the event of Kim's death.
However, the official said, there are few indications that North Korean officials are stepping up preparations for a transfer of authority.
South Korea’s largest daily, Chosun Ilbo, reported Tuesday that Mr. Kim collapsed on Aug. 22, citing an unnamed South Korean diplomat in Beijing. The Seoul government could not confirm the report. The South Korean intelligence agency said it was trying to confirm reports of Mr. Kim’s ill health.
The North’s state-run media have not reported any public appearance by Mr. Kim since mid-August, and speculation was already swirling that he might be in ill health. According to South Korea’s intelligence service, Mr. Kim has chronic heart disease and diabetes.
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