Rumors on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s bad health are surfacing again, as Kim has not appeared in public for more than three weeks.

The North Korean leader has remained reclusive since August 14th when the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim performed a military inspection.

According to a South Korean government official, there are rumors that five Chinese doctors recently visited Pyongyang to treat Kim last week and have yet to return to China. Although the official added that nothing has been confirmed.

The North Korean leader has been known to remove himself from the public scene about three times a year when his country’s ties with the South or other countries become strained.

The South Korean government official said if Kim doesn’t attend any ceremonies in recognition of the 60th birthday of the North Korean regime, the rumors may very well be true.

The North Korean leader is known to have diabetes and heart disease. He disappeared from the public scene for a month in May last year when he was rumored to have undergone cardiac surgery.