A British daily says North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il is having health problems and cannot walk more than 27 meters without a rest.

The Telegraph quoted diplomats based in Pyongyang saying they are convinced Kim needs heart surgery to restore his declining health, and that he is accompanied by an assistant who carries a chair for him to sit in whenever he is out of breath.

The daily said that Kim appeared in public only half as often as he usually does, an indication of his poor health.