North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, South Korean TV news channel YTN says.

YTN cited unidentified intelligence officials in Seoul and China as sources, the BBC reported.

However, South Korea's spy agency said it could not confirm the story.

Kim was diagnosed with the illness last year, about the same time he was reported to have had a stroke, YTN said.

67-year-old Kim was seen last week looking gaunt and walking with a limp, fueling more speculation about his health.

The rare public appearance was at a memorial on July 8 to mark the 15th anniversary of his father's death.

It has been widely reported that Kim's third son, Kim Jong-un, is being groomed as heir, although Pyongyang has made no announcement.

The latest reports on the state of his health come as nuclear negotiators from China and South Korea opened talks in Seoul about how to handle the threat from the North. The United Nations stepped up sanctions against the North after its nuclear and missile tests of May.

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