New Kim Jong Il photos

Posted By Joshua Keating Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 11:14 AM Share

He's back! The Korean Central News Agency of North Korea today released this photo of Kim Jong Il, possibly to refute the reports of his ill health:

The KCNA reports that Kim was visiting a new "e-business institute" in the city of Kanggye:

He was pleased to learn that the graduates from computer genius classes of various schools have grown to be young technicians performing an important role in the field of information industry and said that this proud reality eloquently proves the validity and vitality of the measure taken by the WPK to strengthen the work for training computer geniuses.

The KCNA also released photos earlier this week of Kim touring a collective farm:

Of course, keep in mind that neither of these photos are dated and North Korea is not above engaging in some photoshop fakery.

Update: Swedish blogger Dennis Josefsson writes in that he's found another photo from February with Kim in the same city wearing the same outfit. Very strange.

Check it out here. (Mostly in Swedish.)

EXPLORE:NORTH KOREA

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HIMALAYANJOURNEY

1:57 PM ET

December 17, 2008

Old Computers

Does anyone else notice how old the computers are in the above photo? There haven't been desktops that size for years. Either North Korea has terrible technology or the pictures are dated. Either is a legitimate possibility.

PATRICK SCHNEIDER

4:08 PM ET

December 17, 2008

Clothes

Two visits, one outfit. We should get the London tabloids onto this fashion train-wreck

JOSHUA KEATING

4:16 PM ET

December 17, 2008

gotta...

...love the shades though

YEAHMAN

4:45 PM ET

December 17, 2008

Why does this "new"

Why does this "new" e-business center use CRT screens? Who do the "young technicians" look like they're in their 50's? Why does the kitchen of the collective farm lack heating? If these pics are intended for foreign viewers, I don't think they realize how miserably their propaganda is failing.

TEODORO

11:26 AM ET

December 18, 2008

NK Propaganda

I think you forget that propaganda in a Communist state is really only important for the subjects of that state. Old computers and lack of heating mean nothing to starving people who don't know anything else.

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