2008-09-14 21:57:34 - BEIJING. North Korea's dictator has suffered a stroke and Chinese doctors operated on him

Chinese doctors performed surgery on N. Korean leader after stroke

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il collapsed from a stroke on Aug. 14 and underwent surgery performed with help from five Chinese military doctors dispatched by China at North Korea's request, according to multiple Chinese sources.

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The sources said that while Kim is recovering from the stroke, he is still experiencing problems in the functioning of his limbs, which is typical with stroke victims.

While his affected limbs are expected to recover to almost the way there were before the stroke, that will require a long period of rest and rehabilitation, they said.

A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to

an area of the brain.

According to medical experts, somebody who suffers a small stroke may experience only minor problems such as weakness of an arm or leg, while people who have larger strokes may be paralyzed on one side of the body or lose their ability to speak.

Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than two-thirds of survivors will have some type of disability, experts say.

The remarks by the Chinese sources confirm what the South Korean government has said its intelligence shows -- that Kim is recovering from a stroke and that his condition is not likely to be serious.

Speculation about Kim's health was fueled by his failure to appear at recent events held to mark the 60th anniversary of his country's founding, including a massive military parade held last Tuesday.

The North Korean leader's absence from a military parade was the first since he became head of the country's troops in 1991.

In another change from previous anniversaries, the country's militia, rather than the regular army, navy and air force, took part in the parade, which meant there was no major military hardware displayed as in previous ones.

The Chinese sources said the North Korean authorities decided not to carry out a full-fledged military parade as it would appear strange to hold such an event without the country's top leader being present.

Kim's health has been poor in recent years. In 2006, while visiting China, he received treatment at a Chinese military hospital. He is also said to have been operated on by a German doctor last year.