SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il(金正日) has pancreatic(胰脏的) cancer and the illness is life-threatening, South Korean broadcaster YTN(韩国新闻台) said on Monday based on information gathered by Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources.
Kim's health is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the reclusive(隐遁的) communist state. Kim, 67, was widely thought to have suffered a stroke(中风) last year, but there has never been official confirmation.
Kim looked gaunt during a public appearance last Wednesday at a memorial for his father and state founder Kim Il-sung(金日成).