Add Category
Posted
Reports in the US media that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "gravely ill" have been repudiated by various sources from South Korea, China, and the nuclear-armed state itself. So why is it so hard to determine what's going on with North Korea's leader?
Key points:
- US President Donald Trump said he did not give much credence to reports of Kim Jong-un's poor health
- Mr Kim missed a public celebration on April 15, which fuelled speculation about his condition
- His father, Kim Jong-il, missed a parade in 2008, and it was later revealed he had suffered a stroke
On Tuesday, Jim Sciutto, CNN's chief national security correspondent said a US official told him Kim Jong-un was in "grave danger" after surgery.
But South Korea's presidential office said Mr Kim appeared to be handling state affairs as usual and that it had no information about the rumours regarding his health.
Many will be watching closely for any signs of trouble in North Korea, and whether it will address the reports — something it has not yet done.
US President Donald Trump, who held unprecedented summits with Mr Kim in 2018 and 2019 in an attempt to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons, said on Tuesday (local time) the reports had not been confirmed and he did not put much credence in them, but he wished the North Korean leader well.
"If he is in the kind of condition that the reports say … that would be very serious condition," Mr Trump told a White House news conference.
"I just hope he's doing fine. I've had a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. And I'd like to see him do well. We'll see how he does. We don't know if the reports are true."
Where does speculation about Kim's health come from?
Speculation often surfaces about North Korea's leadership based on attendance at important state events.
It was a missed parade in 2008 which led to questions about Mr Kim's father, Kim Jong-il's health. It was later revealed he had suffered a stroke, and his health deteriorated until his death in 2011.
There were no whispers of anything unusual in the days preceding the announcement of his death.
Mr Kim, who is in his mid-30s, missed the celebration of the birthday of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung on April 15, the country's most important holiday.
But he presided over a meeting on April 11, discussing coronavirus prevention and electing his sister as an alternate member of the political bureau of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
A website run by North Korean defectors, Daily NK, published claims Mr Kim had been struggling with cardiovascular problems since August 2019.
Daily NK said Mr Kim's health had deteriorated in recent months due to smoking, obesity and overwork and that he had undergone a cardiovascular system procedure on April 12.
State media since reported he sent greetings to Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel as well as arranging special birthday meals for two North Korean officials and a new centenarian.
"We have no information to confirm regarding rumours about Chairman Kim Jong-un's health issue that have been reported by some media outlets," South Korean presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said.
"Also, no unusual developments have been detected inside North Korea."
The presidential office later said Mr Kim was believed to be staying at an unspecified location outside of Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, with some close confidants.
It said Mr Kim appeared to be normally engaged with state affairs and there wasn't any unusual movement or emergency reaction from North Korea's ruling party, military or cabinet.
Why is it so difficult to tell what's going on?
Reporting from inside North Korea is notoriously difficult, especially on matters concerning its leadership, given tight controls on information.
Outside governments and media have a mixed record on tracking developments among North Korea's ruling elite, made difficult by the North's stringent control of information about them.
There have been past false reports regarding its leaders, but the fact Mr Kim has no clear successor means any instability could present a major international risk.
Asked about how any North Korean political succession would work, US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Fox News: "The basic assumption would be maybe it would be someone in the family. But, again, it's too early to talk about that because we just don't know what condition Chairman Kim is in and we'll have to see how it plays out.
"As you know, North Korea is a very closed society."
In 2016, South Korean media quoted intelligence officials as saying Mr Kim had had a former military chief executed for corruption and other charges. But months later, North Korea's state media showed Ri Yong-gil alive and serving in new senior posts.
Mr Kim's absence from state media often triggers speculation. In 2014, he vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks before reappearing with a cane.
South Korea's spy agency said days later he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
Mr Kim took power upon his father's death in December, 2011 and is the third generation of his family to rule the country.
Mr Kim took two well-publicised rides on a stallion on the mountain's snowy slopes in October and December.
ABC with wires
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of