Kim Jong-il Reported to Have Pancreatic Cancer

Kim Jong-il, 67, was widely thought to have suffered a stroke last year, but there has never been official confirmation. He was missing from many public events, and when he finally re-appeared, he appeared weak-looking and frail.

His health raises questions about succession in North Korea. It's because of these questions, some theorize, that the country has participated in saber-rattling of late.

The North conducted its second nuclear test on May 25. Since then the country has performed a series of missile launches, testing both its own capabilities as well as the resolve of U.N. nations.

Kim Jong-il took power in 1994 when his father died at the age of 82. Reports indicate that he has named Kim Jung Un, his youngest son, 25, as his successor.