This is according to a South Korean official in Beijing. Source.
Analysts wonder if the Dear Leader (66 years old) will be able to appear at his state's festivities (60 years of DPRK) today. Well, I'm afraid no-one will ever know, since it is a well-known fact that Kim Jong-il has been using look-a-likes on many occasions. Maybe the recordings can be analysed to check against a reference length and face structure. My bet: Kim Jong-il will show up, but it probably isn't the real one. On a different note, the Guardian has a preview of an interview with James Dresnok, he's an ex-GI who defected to North Korea almost 50 years ago. (Source) I'm sceptic on this quote:"The Dear Leader takes care of me. Great man. Did you know hospitalisation is free in the DPRK?" Yes, hospitalisation is free in the DPRK, but that really is about it. It may be free, but if there's no decent equipment or medication it's not really of any use, right? A good channel on youtube is: http://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish - usually a bit more objective than the CNNs of this world. The above interview with Dresnok will also become available on this youtube channel.