Kim Jong Un Nowhere to Be Seen as Health Rumors Continue to Swirl

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was out of sight Saturday on an important day for the nation’s military, fueling more speculation about his health.

As the hermit nation celebrated the 88th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army, Kim was oddly absent from military ceremonies his father and grandfather, his predecessors as North Korea’s top leader, wouldn’t have missed.

A social media report stating that Kim is dead — attributed to an executive of HKSTV, a China-backed Hong Kong TV channel — further fanned the rumor mill.

But the social media post was not picked up by HKSTV’s web site, and there was no news out of North Korea about Kim’s condition.

Even if Kim has died, North Korea’s silence shouldn’t be a surprise. The deaths of Kim’s father and grandfather weren’t announced until more than a day later.

Kim, believed to be 36, has led his country since 2011. He took over after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

A train believed to belong to the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been spotted amid conflicting accounts about his health and whereabouts. Reports show that Kim may be sheltering from COVID-19, hence disappearing the public eye. #NBSUpdates pic.twitter.com/JUFfhU53oE

— Kyambadde Solomon (@solokyambadde) April 26, 2020

Speculation about Kim’s absence from public appearances grew last week after reports that China sent a squad of doctors to North Korea to advise on his health.

Rodong Sinmun, a Pyongyang newspaper, has a special section on its English-language web page titled “Supreme Leader’s Activities.” The section hasn’t been updated since April 12.

Daily NK, a Seoul-based news outlet, reported last week that Kim — overweight and reportedly a heavy smoker — was recovering after a cardiovascular procedure that day.

Kim reportedly was absent from celebrations on April 15 of The Day of the Sun, which marks the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s founding leader.

President Trump said in a news briefing this week that he wished Kim well — “if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say.” But he added moments later that “nobody’s confirmed that.”

Kim Jong Un has continued the nuclear program championed by his father, frequently testing missiles — often unsuccessfully — causing tension in the region.

The nuke program, and Kim’s height of 5-foot-7 led to Trump calling him “Little Rocket Man.” But in 2018 Trump met with Kim in Singapore, in the first meeting between a U.S. president and North Korean leader.

Though Kim was not seen in public on Saturday, Rodong Sinmun in an editorial hailed his “steadfast will … to further strengthen and develop” the country’s military.

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