With reports he is putting some of his hapless officials in front of firing squads, it would appear that the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il is in good health and complete control.

But reports emerging from the North this week suggest that Kim Jong-il is either close to death or preparing for an imminent hand-over of power.

From Caesar to Stalin to Saddam, history is replete with despots erecting graven images of themselves.

In Iraq, for example, it was joked that there were more statues of Saddam Hussein than citizens.

North Korea certainly does not lack the odd bust of its founding leader Kim il-Sung. The capital Pyongyang is riddled with them.

But oddly enough, until now, there have been none of his son, the current primate of Pyongyang, Kim Jong-il.

Toshimitsu Shigemura is a North Korea expert from Tokyo's Waseda University.

He was gobsmacked when reports from the North emerged this week showing photos of a larger-than-life bronze statue of Kim Jong-il.

Professor Shigemura says there is deep symbolism to the unveiling of the dear leader's first statue.

"Kim Jong-il's statue has officially appeared, this is the first time. Before, Kim Jong-il prohibited making his statue," he said.

"So it means that Kim Jong-il will be losing his power, or the successor is coming."

The unveiling of the statue could be interpreted a few ways - that Kim Jong-il is preparing to step down and hand power to his third son; that he is gravely ill and his inner circle is bracing for his death; or, most unlikely, that he is already dead.

It is no secret that the dear leader is not in great shape.

Two years ago he suffered a stroke which left him partly paralysed.

And depending on who you believe, he is afflicted with everything from diabetes, to heart disease, to liver cancer to high blood pressure.

So why can't megalomaniac despots in North Korea erect statues to themselves, like megalomaniac despots everywhere else in the world?

According to Professor Toshimitsu Shigemura, North Korea's adherence to Confucianism and its core value of filial piety mean North Korea's despot normally would not erect statues to himself.

"Under the Confucianist values, son can make his father's statue, but son cannot make his statue," he said.

Even South Korean intelligence is taking this seriously, with Seoul's Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoting one spy as saying that the unveiling of the bronze of Kim Jong-il signifies the end of his reign.

The problem with that assessment is that every time the dear leader has been dispatched by pundits, spies, and specialists, he has returned from the proverbial grave as unpredictable as ever.