North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had to be assisted by Yangzhou Mayor Wang Yanwen as he walked through a shopping mall in the city, suggesting he is still suffering the after-effects of his 2008 stroke. Last Monday, the fourth day of his China trip, Kim visited a food corner on the second floor accompanied by around 70 officials and had to be helped by Wang, according to mall staff. Kim toured the mall for about 20 minutes.
In the grounds of the Yangzhou State Guesthouse, where he stayed, he apparently used a golf cart for VIPs. A hotel staffer said Kim "limped" when he walked from the entrance to his room and looked "very uncomfortable."
Meanwhile, Kim reportedly met with former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin not at the hotel but somewhere else in the city.