By: Kim So-hyun

Speculation over North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's health is rising again following the release of a new photo in which he looks noticeably enfeebled.

Local media reported Monday that Kim is suspected of suffering from pancreatic cancer. Seoul said it had no information.

"There have been media reports on (North Korea's National Defense Commission) chairman Kim Jong-il mentioning certain diseases, but we have no information regarding today's reports," Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-seung said Monday.

South Korean intelligence officials also said they had not heard anything about Kim having pancreatic cancer and said they had no information on his health.

Citing unidentified intelligence sources in Seoul and Washington, a local cable news broadcaster said Kim, 67, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer around August last year, when he was believed to have had a stroke.

The report, quoting medical sources in Beijing, said the illness was "life-threatening".

Kim may not live for more than five years, given the high mortality rate of pancreatic cancer and his old age, it said.

Kim Jong-il's health is currently at the center of media attention related to North Korea.

US-based Washington Times quoted an unnamed official last week as saying that Kim may have one year to live due to failing health.

"Km Jong-il certainly hasn't been in good shape since his stroke last year and, as time wears on, it's increasingly clear that he's not where he was before experiencing his health setback," the official was quoted as saying.

The newspaper quoted a diplomatic source as saying that Kim has eschewed Western medicine and is now relying only on herbal brews and other Eastern remedies.

South Korean and US policymakers are keeping a close watch on Kim's recent photographs to look for any possible clues about his health.

A US expert on North Korean issues was quoted by a South Korean newspaper as saying that the North Korean situation can be described as "from two minutes to 20 years", implying it was hard to predict how long Kim would keep going for.

The local newspaper said that a South Korean official put it slightly differently: "from five minutes to five years".

Kim is rumoured to have named his third and youngest son, Jong-un, as successor. Jong-un, born to Kim's deceased third wife Ko Yong-hui and either 25 or 26 years old, is said to resemble the leader the most in temperament and appearance among the siblings.

--The Korea Herald/ANN