N. Korean leader greets military guards in Pyongyang

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il recently met with hundreds of front-line soldiers at a military gathering held in Pyongyang, the country's state media reported Saturday.

At the meeting in the North Korean capital, Kim waved to active outpost soldiers
who "cheered towards Kim in the plaza of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace," reported
the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).
The body of the North Korean leader's father, Kim Il-sung, lies in state at the
Kumsusan Memorial Palace.
The KCNA, monitored in Seoul, did not disclose the date of Kim's appearance. A
still photograph attached to the report suggested that hundreds of soldiers were
present at the gathering.
Kim also met with a group of engineering soldiers at the same event, where he
extended his goodwill and also had a photo session with them, the KCNA reported.
Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke in August of last year, but he is now
believed to have recovered considerably, as he has more than doubled his public
activities this year. North Korean media have been reporting on his public tours
for four consecutive days.
Pictures released by the KCNA on Friday showed a much leaner Kim, with little
trace of his trademark potbelly. While visiting a new swimming complex, he
appeared to be thinner than in January, when photographs were released by Chinese
media after his rare meeting with a visiting Chinese official.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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