North Koreans are aware of Kim Jong Il's reported illness and anticipating an end to his dictatorship, said a Japanese journalist who recently returned from the China-North Korea border.
Jiro Ishimaru, founder and editor of Rimjin-gang, a magazine featuring reports and photography by North Koreans in North Korea, said in an interview with The Japan Times that the North's citizens noted Kim's absence at a military parade Sept. 9 to mark the 60th anniversary of the nation's founding.
Western media have explained Kim's absence as a result of a stroke he suffered in August.