Seoul - North Korea's state-run Central Television Saturday released pictures of leader Kim Jong Il inspecting a miliary unit in an attempt to refute speculation over his alleged illness, a South Korean media report said.

Kim, who is said to be recovering from a stroke or brain surgery, was shown in 10 photographs inspecting a women's army unit and watching them undergo weapons' training, the Yonhap news agency said. The images were the first of Kim shown in 58 days.

He was looking generally well, wearing his trademark khaki jumpsuit and sunglasses, but it was unclear when the footage was taken.

North Korea's KCNA agency said Kim praised the soldiers for doing their duty with "an utmost readiness against the "enemy's aggressive movements."

The reclusive leader disappeared from public view for almost two months, fuelling rumours of a serious illness, but is believed to have attended a student football match last Saturday.

South Korean intelligence said Kim had a stroke in mid-August.

The 66-year-old autocrat, who is reportedly suffering from diabetes and heart disease, missed several important public occasions in the last months, most notably the communist state's 60th birthday in September.

Kim has been at the helm of the regime since the death of his father, Kim Il Sung, in July 1994. (dpa)