The country's defence minister made the bombshell comment at a press briefing and added he thought recent movements in the secretive state were "all very strange".

Following his first disappearing act, reports emerged claiming the enigmatic 36-year-old despot had died or was gravely ill after a botched heart operation.

After vanishing for 20 days he turned up on May 1 at a newly-constructed fertiliser plant before again disappearing from public.

But on May 24 Kim reappeared after another three week absence to discuss putting his nuclear forces on "high alert" amid speculation about his health.

And comments made by Japan's defense minister Taro Kono today were bound to rekindle rumours about the dictator.