N. Korean leadership stable, Kim Jong Il in full charge: S. Korea+

SEOUL, Feb. 20 Kyodo - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is in full control of North Korea and its leadership is stable, South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho Nyoun said Friday.

''The North Korean leadership is stable and he is overseeing state affairs in a
normal manner,'' Kim was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
Kim also said there is no sign yet that North Korea is officially preparing a
leadership succession.
Kim's remarks were apparently made to calm uneasiness that may be created by
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement made Thursday.
She raised the possibility of a power struggle in North Korea, whose leader Kim
Jong Il reportedly fell ill last year, according to Reuters news agency.
''If there is a succession, even if it is a peaceful program...that creates
more uncertainly and it also may encourage behaviors that are even more
provocative as a way to consolidate power within the society,'' she reportedly
said Thursday.
Media reports said recently the third son of Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, has been
picked to succeed his father.
==Kyodo
2009-02-20 20:32:30