World Eyes Frail Kim Jong Il at North Korea Parliament

SEOUL, South Korea – A visibly grayer and thinner Kim Jong Il proved Thursday he remains in charge of communist North Korea, presiding over parliament in a triumphant return to center stage after months out of the public eye following a reported stroke.

Limping slightly, Kim arrived at the grand hall housing the 687-seat Supreme People's Assembly to a standing ovation and praise for a weekend rocket launch heralded as "historic" at home though assailed in some nations as provocative.

A master at building drama, Kim fed the world's curiosity for months about his health after reports said he had a stroke and underwent brain surgery in August — though North Korea has denied that he was ever ill.

Kim solemnly acknowledged his reappointment as chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, which under North Korea's constitution makes him the nation's top leader while his father, late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, remains "eternal president."

"Having comrade Kim Jong Il at the highest post of our country again is a great honor and happiness for our military and people and a great happy event for all Korean people," a newscaster said on state TV.

State media made no mention of Kim from August until October, when there indications that he had re-emerged, with accounts of his visits to farms, factories and military bases. But no video images of him were released until this week.

And Thursday's appearance was his first at a major public event, with taped video footage broadcast the same day, finally putting to rest any question about whether he has recuperated from the reported stroke that sparked fears of a succession crisis in the nuclear-armed nation.

Kim looked healthy, if older, on Thursday, but the weight loss appeared to have been sudden, leaving the skin on his once-pudgy face hanging loosely.

Despite the limp, it was clear "Kim Jong Il has no problem ruling the country," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies.

Outside observers were watching closely for signs he may be laying the groundwork for a successor following the health scare.

Kim has ruled the impoverished nation of 24 million with absolute authority since his father's death in 1994, allowing no dissent or opposition. Both Kims thrived on an intense cult of personality, with their portraits hanging in nearly every room.

However, none of Kim's three sons was elected to parliament in March, and they are not believed ready to assume the leadership mantle.

In a significant appointment Thursday, Kim's brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, a senior Workers' Party member, was named to the powerful defense commission.

Kim appears to be boosting Jang's authority, perhaps to pave the way for him to assume more power, said Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Sejong Institute.

Jang, who is married to Kim's sister, is believed to back Kim's youngest son, 26-year-old Jong Un, as his father's successor.

In another possible succession-related move, the parliament approved a motion to amend the constitution. No details were available, but in the 1990s, a similar amendment paved the way for Kim to assume leadership from his father.

North Korea launched a campaign to build unity and support for Kim in the days preceding the opening session, first with Sunday's controversial rocket launch and then with a series of documentaries paying homage to his leadership.

Pyongyang claims it successfully put a communications satellite into orbit Sunday and that it is transmitting data and playing patriotic odes to Kim and his father, the country's founder.

U.S. and South Korean military officials say nothing made it into orbit and accuse Pyongyang of using the launch to test its long-range missile technology.

Washington, calling the launch a bold violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions barring North Korea from ballistic missile-related activity, is leading the push for council condemnation.

However, council debate remains stalled, with North Korea's closest ally, China, and Russia maintaining calls for restraint.

At the U.N. Thursday, Shintaro Ito, japan's vice minister for foreign affairs, said the Security Council's credibility will become "doubtful" unless it reacts quickly to the rocket launch.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters on Thursday that there were differences in opinion over how to address the launch.

"We're still engaged in consultations to try to come up with a strong and effective response," he said.

North Korea's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam, lauded the leader for building up the country's "invincible forces" and for the "successful" launch of the satellite Sunday. He also praised Kim Jong Il for "crushing the imperialists' policies to stifle" the North — an obvious reference to the United States.