S. Korea has 'no information' on Kim Jong-il's reported pancreatic cancer

SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government has no information on
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il having pancreatic cancer as reported by a local
broadcaster Monday, officials said.

"This morning, there was another report about Chairman Kim Jong-il's health,
mentioning a particular illness. With regard to today's report, so far, I have no
information," Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said in a press
briefing.
Citing unidentified intelligence sources in Seoul and Washington, the cable news
channel YTN said Kim, 67, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer around the same
time he is believed to have had a stroke in August last year.
The report, quoting medical sources in Beijing, said the illness was
"life-threatening." Kim may not live more than five years, given the high
mortality rate of pancreatic cancer and his old age, it said.
An official from the National Intelligence Service also said he "was unable to
confirm the report."
Kim's health condition is at the center of international media attention, it
being a decisive factor in what happens to the communist country if he dies
without publicly naming a successor.
Kim is rumored to have internally named his third and youngest son, Jong-un, as
the successor. Jong-un, born to Kim's deceased third wife Ko Yong-hui and either
25 or 26 years old, is said to resemble the leader the most in temperament and
appearance among the siblings.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)