Enlarge By KCNA/Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, center, visits a military unit at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this recent picture distributed by North Korea's official news agency KCNA. SEOUL (AP)  North Korea released pictures of its leader, Kim Jong Il, on Saturday for the first time in nearly two months, showing him looking generally well despite reports he recently underwent brain surgery. Wearing his trademark khaki jumpsuit and sunglasses, Kim was seen standing with uniformed soldiers with his arms folded or his hands behind his back. The photos were taken during a visit to a military unit and shown on Pyongyang's Korean Central Television. Kim appeared healthy in the images, though it was unclear when they were taken. The photos of Kim were the first released since Aug. 14, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry, in charge of relations with North Korea. The 66-year-old leader, believed to have diabetes and heart disease, has missed several key holidays in recent months, most notably North Korea's 60th birthday last month. U.S. and South Korean officials have said Kim suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery. North Korea has denied he was ill. In the latest photos, Kim was seen viewing troops from the artillery unit, clapping and looking around barracks dotted with red-and-white slogans calling for loyalty to him. Portraits of him and his late father and national founder Kim Il Sung were also seen hanging on a barracks wall. Kim is the object of an intense personality cult in the totalitarian nation that he inherited after his father died in 1994 in communism's first hereditary transfer of power. "I think (Kim) wanted to show he is up and doing, as his health has improved enough to take pictures," said Hong Hyun-ik, a North Korea expert at the security think tank Sejong Institute, south of Seoul. However, the release of photos — instead of video footage — means Kim hasn't fully recovered yet, he said. Concern over Kim's absence was especially pointed since North Korea abandoned an international disarmament-for-aid accord and stopped disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in mid August. The country raised the stakes again this past week, banning inspectors from the entire nuclear complex. However, diplomats told The Associated Press the U.S. government planned to remove North Korea from a terrorism blacklist Saturday after getting assurances the communist nation would allow inspections of its nuclear facilities. U.S. President George W. Bush signed off on the move Friday in a bid to salvage the faltering disarmament accord aimed at getting North Korea to abandon atomic weapons, the diplomats said on condition of anonymity because the State Department had not yet announced the step. "I think the Bush administration made this decision because otherwise, the considerable progress made so far would have evaporated, proving its policy on North Korea was a total failure" with just several months left in office, Hong said. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more