U.S. authorities have received information that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il suffered a second stroke late last month, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported.
But as conflicting reports about his health continue to cloud the situation, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak told Chosun Ilbo newspaper on Tuesday that Kim was recovering and running the country, Reuters reported.
TBS quoted South Korean sources close to a U.S. intelligence agency as saying Kim had been having difficulties with his left hand and leg as well as trouble speaking, but that the severity of his condition was unclear.
U.S. and South Korean officials have said Kim may have suffered a stroke in August, raising questions about who will succeed him as head of the communist state.