There is speculation about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. According to South Korean media, he has had medical treatment this month and may now be struggling with health problems.
Bloomberg news agency reports that after the operation, the U.S. government did not know if Kim was still alive or if he was dead. NOS correspondent Garrie van Pinxteren is very careful with these kinds of messages: “If there is anything wrong with Kim Jong-un, the United States and South Korea do not know that.”
The rumors started after reports from, among others, the American news channel CNN. According to a US government official, the United States is following Kim’s health coverage closely. South Korea informed an official from the President’s office that there were no special signs that Kim was seriously ill. “We have nothing to confirm and we have not seen any special movements in North Korea.”
Unusual absence
Kim, 36, was missing on April 15 to celebrate the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, an important national holiday in North Korea. Four days earlier, he was seen at a government meeting. It is highly unusual for the North Korean leader to be missing on this day. There is still a huge personal cult around Kim Il-sung in the Stalinist country.
South Korean media wrote this month that Kim is being treated after surgery for cardiovascular disease. News site Daily NK, which is largely run by defected North Koreans, reports that Kim is rehabilitating in a villa near Mount Kumgang, following an intervention on April 12. According to the website, the health of the North Korean leader has deteriorated in recent months due to obesity, heavy smoking and hard work.
Anna Fifield, author of a book on Kim Jong-un, points out on Twitter that reports about North Korea are difficult to verify. According to her, Kim’s poor condition is causing rumors to grow.
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