PYONGYANG, North Korea, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- South Korea's Yonhap news agency confirmed Monday the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died earlier this month at the age of 51.
The communist government of North Korea traditionally keeps secret all personal details of its leaders, but the agency quoted sources in Beijing as saying Koh Young Hee died Aug. 13.
There were also reports North Korea had recently purchased an expensive coffin from Paris, causing speculation that the coffin was for Koh.
Although Koh died of heart failure, the sources said she suffered from a number of terminal illnesses, including cancer, either of the breast or uterus, the report said.
A diplomatic source in Seoul told Japan's Kyodo news agency Koh was hospitalized in Paris in April and May for cancer treatment.
Born in Japan in 1953, Koh moved to North Korea in the early 1960s with her family and worked as a dancer.
