The confusion surrounding North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un’s health and whereabouts was compounded following US President Donald Trump’s statement on his “friend”. Trump said he has a “very good idea” about the situation, but added that, “I can’t tell you exactly.” However, he suggested that “you’ll probably be hearing in the not too distant future” from the North Korean government itself.
Pentagon officials are also closely monitoring military activity in the area to spot any irregularities, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo adding that the administration is “watching the situation very keenly”. But, a Pentagon official said, “We have observed no indications or received any additional information to make a conclusive assessment on the status of North Korean leadership or health of Kim Jong-un.” That being said, Trump has said that reports on Kim’s deteriorating health are likely “incorrect”.
On the other hand, the South Korean government dismissed reports that the Supreme Leader is seriously ill, with Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul saying that it has “enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments” in North Korea. The minister also rejected Seoul-based online newspaper NK Daily’s claims that Kim had undergone a cardiovascular procedure and Reuters’ claims that China had sent a medical team to treat Kim as “fake news”. Moon Chung-in, an adviser to President Moon Jae-in added that Kim was “alive and well”.
Curiously, however, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said he had “no information to offer” Kim. Additionally, The Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department has neither confirmed nor denied reports that it has sent a team of medical experts to North Korea.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim was last seen in public on April 11 at a politburo meeting. Given the tight control over the flow of information in North Korea, only Kim’s inner circle is aware of his wellbeing. Thus, international commentators have largely had to rely on satellite images. For instance, a train thought to belong to Kim was spotted at his compound in Wonsan, a resort town on the country’s east coast.
Some have suggested that the fact the train has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station for a week now indicates that rumors that Kim is in a vegetative state after a failed heart surgery or that he has died, may well be true. They contend that the regime would almost definitely have moved to show that Kim is “alive and well” if that were indeed the case. However, until now, KCNA has only published a letter from Kim to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dated April 27 as proof of his wellbeing.
Moreover, such delays in announcements are not uncommon in North Korea. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, had been dead for almost two days before the KCNA confirmed his death. Therefore, at the very least, it can be likely said that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un is ill. For the moment, however, suggestions that he is grievously ill or dead remain speculative.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un’s Health And Whereabouts Still Unknown
April 28, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP