A KBS correspondent in Beijing says the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died of illness.

The correspondent quoting unidentified Chinese sources well versed on North Korean affairs said Thursday that Koh Young-hee has died recently of breast cancer after an operation overseas.

Earlier this month, Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper said Koh, the second wife of the North Korean leader, was terminally ill with breast cancer after a surgery in Paris.

The 51-year-old Koh bore two sons, Jung-chul (23) and Jung-woon (18), who are known to be in contention to succeed the reclusive North Korean leader.