Kim Jon Il looks frail

PYONGYANG, North Korea, July 8 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il looked frail when seen attending a memorial for Kim Il Sung, his father and the country's founder, CNN reported.

The 67-year-old Communist leader, widely reported to have suffered a stroke in August, also seemed gaunt Wednesday when seen walking into the event in Pyongyang in the company of party and military officials, the U.S. news network said. Kim has made only two public appearances since August, CNN said.

Kim's reported health problems have given rise to speculations whether he is ready to name his successor, which could be his youngest son Kim Jong Un.

Some experts have said North Korea's recent military adventures such as the May 25 nuclear test and numerous mid- and long-range missiles may have been designed to show North Koreans their "Dear Leader," as Kim Jong Il is called, has made the country's stronger than ever, even though his people are reeling under severe food shortages.

The memorial honored "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung, who died July 8, 1994, at age 82, clearing the way for Kim Jong Il to take power.