Kim Jong-un is "alive and well," said South Korean President Moon Jae-in's special adviser on national security, downplaying the seriousness of rumors about suspected health problems of the North Korean leader.
"Our government's position is firm," councilor Moon Chung-in told American television station CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong-un is alive and well." The adviser added that the North Korean leader had been staying since April 13 in Wonsan, a seaside resort in the east of the country. "No suspicious action has so far been detected," he said.
"Excessive smoking, obesity and fatigue"
Rumors of Kim Jong-un's health have increased since his absence noted during birthday celebrations on April 15. This day is however the most important on the North Korean political calendar because it is the day on which the whole country commemorates the birth of the founder of the regime, Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current leader.
Kim Jong-un has not appeared in public since a meeting of the political bureau of the single ruling party on April 11 and an inspection tour of an air base that had been reported by the North Korean official media on 12. Daily NK, an online media outlet run mainly by defected North Koreans, said the North Korean leader had been operated on in April for cardiovascular problems and was recovering in a villa in the province of North Pyongan.
Citing an unidentified North Korean source, the media claimed that Kim Jong-un, who is in his 30s, had to be treated urgently due to problems related to "his excessive smoking, obesity and his fatigue ”.
"Nothing to confirm" these speculations
South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North, had put this information into perspective. "We have nothing to confirm" these speculations and "no particular action has been detected inside North Korea so far," the office of the South Korean president said in a statement this week. last.
CNN, quoting an American official, had reported for its part that Washington "studied (information)" according to which Kim Jong-un was "in serious danger after a surgical operation". But Thursday, US President Donald Trump said the information about a possible deterioration in the state of health of the North Korean leader was "wrong".
On Monday, the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong-un sent a message of thanks to the workers of the gigantic coastal tourism project of Wonsan Kalma.
- Kim jong-un
- South Korea
- North Korea
- World