SEOUL - NORTH Korea's state media released a new batch of photographs of Mr Kim Jong Il on Wednesday amid persistent speculation over the health of the Stalinist state's absolute leader.

South Korean and US officials suspect that Mr Kim suffered a serious health setback, possibly a stroke, in August. North Korea denies the speculation and has recently released a series of photos and news reports portraying Mr Kim as active and healthy.

Mr Kim's health is of keen interest because he rules the isolated, nuclear-armed nation with absolute authority and has not publicly named any successors.

On Wednesday, the North's Korean Central News Agency released photos showing leader Kim posing with dozens of soldiers during a visit to two military units - Unit 2200 and a sub-unit of Unit 534.

The report, however, did not say when Mr Kim made the trips or where the two units are located.

In a close-up photo, posted on the Web site of Yonhap news agency, Mr Kim was seen with his usual bouffant hairstyle, wearing his trademark sunglasses and a white winter parka.

One of the two wide-shot photos also shows Mr Kim standing in front of trees with autumn foliage and a red-and-white banner saying, 'Let's dedicate our lives to safeguarding our great leader and comrade Mr Kim and his top revolutionary leaders.'

South Korea's Unification Ministry - which handles relations with North Korea - confirmed the release of the photos.

'There is a backdrop in the picture, with which we can guess the timing (of when it was taken) and (Mr Kim) also is wearing a parka,' Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon told reporters.

However, he said it was still difficult to analyse Mr Kim's health condition with still photos.

The North's KCNA said in a dispatch monitored on Wednesday in Seoul that Mr Kim watched military training by the two units and expressed his satisfaction over their readiness to defeat any enemy invasions.

On Sunday, North Korea released undated photographs showing Mr Kim smiling and looking healthy at what state TV said was a football game between two army teams.

The photos, however, failed to quell questions over his health, since none of them show Mr Kim and scenes of a football match in the same frame.

Some South Korean media outlets also noted that the way Mr Kim is holding his left arm appears unnatural in some of the Sunday images, suggesting it might be a sign he is suffering from paralysis as a result of his reported stroke.

Speculation about Mr Kim's health spiked after he missed a key celebration marking the country's 60th birthday on Sept 9. He has not been seeing in public since mid-August. -- AP