The Curious Case of Kim Jong-Il

For a refresher, last week at this time we started out not knowing if Kim Jong-Il was alive or dead, based on the well-researched theory of a Japanese professor. Then Kim didn't show up to the country's 60th anniversary celebrations (and neither did one of his stunt doubles) on Tuesday, raising speculation that he'd had a stroke, or some sort of shaking palsy that North Korea-watchers speculated would have been deemed an embarrassment to be seen in public.

Here's a roundup of the subsequent curious news coming out of various agencies trying to peer inside the notoriously restrictive country:

• A report in Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun states that Kim began losing consciousness while working in April, and had to curtail his schedule as a result.

• Japan's Asahi Shimbun, meanwhile, reported that Kim had heart surgery, performed by a team of German doctors, last April.

• Yet another report has it that Kim had brain surgery last month for a stroke, and is just now able to brush his teeth.

• Fellow communist mouthpiece Xinhua focused on the positive, noting that Kim wished Dmitry Medvedev a happy birthday Sunday.

• South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo reported that the U.S. is already teaming up with their country to prepare for the post-Kim era.

• The Korea Times reports that Kim's fourth wife, Kim Ok, has access to the leader's sickbed, and that the 44-year-old has considerable clout over who gets to see him, plus his governing duties.

(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)