U.S. officials say Kim likely suffered a stroke in August. Although the official North Korean press has tried to dispel rumors by releasing photos of a healthy looking Kim, fears remain that if he is incapacitated, the country could fall into chaos. Kim, who was groomed for his job by his father, has not named a successor.
Although Washington last month removed North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying Pyongyang had come through on its pledge to resume disabling its nuclear facilities, a lot remains unclear. That includes whether North Korea will open up all suspect sites to inspection.
