Kim Jong-il portraits reportedly disappear

MOSCOW ― Portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il have been removed from public display in the North, Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency said yesterday from Beijing.
In a telephone interview with Tass, an unnamed foreign diplomat in North Korea said guests at receptions hosted by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry have been noticing that Mr. Kim’s portraits have been missing from event venues, including the People’s Palace of Culture in Pyeongyang.
The report said portraits of Kim Il Sung, the current leader’s father, still remained. The diplomat said a secret order had been issued to remove the portraits of Mr. Kim with no explanation.
A South Korean government official said Seoul is trying to confirm the report. “We have begun intelligence analyses to see what this means ― if true,” he said.