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N. Korean defense minister conspicuously absent at military anniversary
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's defense minister, Kim Yong-chun, believed to be at the core of the country's power elite, has not been mentioned in North Korean media reports for nearly a month, fueling speculation about his personal situation.
Kim, 73, vice-chairman of the National Defense Commission -- the empowered backbone of the country's military and state affairs -- and minister of the People's Armed Forces, was a no-show at an important military event in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
Yonhap News Agency closely monitors North Korean media and noticed Kim's month-long absence.
The meeting at the April 25 House of Culture, marking the 18th anniversary of Kim Jong-il taking the reigns of the Korean People's Army, drew all members of the country's military top brass as an occasion to bolster the "military-first" policy promulgated by the leader.
But Kim Yong-chun, who represents the Korean People's Army, was conspicuously absent, according to footage aired by Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station and the list of distinguished guests reported by the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, a state-run radio channel.
The minister last appeared in North Korean media on Nov. 29, when he accompanied Kim Jong-il on a field guidance trip to farms run by an army unit.
A South Korean Unification Ministry official who monitors movements of the North Korean power elite said the minister's absence from Wednesday's event was "unusual." The official requested anonymity.
Minister Kim is believed to have health problems. Sources say he has almost lost his sight and hearing because of diabetes and received treatment at a Chinese People's Liberation Army hospital in June.
Present at the meeting instead was Jo Myong-rok, 81, first vice-chairman of the National Defense Commission, who has largely remained out of sight due to old age and illness. It was his first public appearance since he cast his vote at an election of the Supreme People's Assembly in March.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
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