Is Kim Jong Un Dead or Alive? Here's What Reports Say About Health Condition of North Korea's Supreme Leader
Is Kim Jong Un dead? Social media and the internet are flooded with various reports about the health condition of Kim Jong Un.
Seoul, April 26: Is Kim Jong Un dead? Social media and the internet are flooded with various reports about the health condition of Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). These reports about Kim Jong Un's health are disputed as North Korea has not made any official statement regarding it. A hoax related to his death recently went viral after photoshopped images of "his funeral" surfaced. Kim Jong Un Death Hoax: Is North Korea's Supreme Leader Dead? Photoshopped Image of Kim Jong Il's Funeral Goes Viral.
According to Japanese media, Kim Jong Un is in a "vegetative state". They said his health appears could be more serious than initially believed. Reports in the Chinese media said Beijing had dispatched a team to North Korea to advise on Kim's health. Another report claimed that Kim has died. A Hong Kong-backed news channel's vice director, who's apparently the niece of a Chinese foreign minister, said Kim is dead. LatestLY could not verify the claim.
Earlier this week, the US media had reported that the North Korean leader was gravely ill following heart surgery. A CNN report, citing a US official, had said that Washington was looking into intelligence that Kim was in "grave danger" after a surgery. The report had triggered speculations about Kim's health condition. However, South Korea downplayed the report, saying that it had seen any unusual with regard to Kim's health.
Meanwhile, North Korean media outlets have been silent on Kim Jong Un's whereabouts amid persisting speculation over his health. They have recently put out reports on Kim sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts to honoured citizens but did not release reports or photos featuring his public activity. The North Korean leader was last seen in state media on April 11.
Speculation about Kim's health problems spiked after he did not appear in a key ceremony commemorating the 108th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung on April 15. He has never skipped his trip to the mausoleum since taking office in late 2011.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2020 09:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).