Disappearance and reappearance of Kim Jong-un: back on a media frenzy

Text by: Louis Palligiano Follow

International media reported Kim Jong-un dead, in grave danger, or more prosaically at the beach. Following his absence noticed at a major event celebrating the birthday of his late grandfather and founder of the nation Kim Il-sung, on April 15, the rumor machine has again wrapped itself around the state of the "dear leader". As in previous times, the temporary disappearance of the North Korean leader has given rise to speculation drawing on a handful of anonymous sources to ultimately accentuate the vagueness around one of the most secret countries in the world.

Publicity

The jovial mine and visibly in full possession of its means, Kim Jong-un finally reappeared, after 20 days without public activities, to participate in the inauguration of a fertilizer factory on May 1. If the mystery of his absence has not been unraveled, many seasoned experts expected this type of outcome.

Since coming to power in 2011, this is not the first time that Kim has stayed away from public life without Pyongyang deigning to deliver the slightest explanation. He had disappeared from radar for more than a month in 2014 before resurfacing, leaning on a crutch following an ankle operation, and earlier in the year, he was no longer seen for three weeks. At the same time, rumors about a serious health problem or an internal political crisis inevitably swell.

For Daniel Pinkston , North Korea specialist at the International Crisis Group, "  Kim Jong-un may have had a health problem or had an operation, but if things were as bad as some sources have speculated, we would have seen many more activities in the North. It is important to note that official South Korean intelligence sources have systematically minimized the dangers.  Faced with speculation, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea has consistently denied all claims about heart disease or surgery, saying that Kim is running the regime's business in the usual way and is simply focused on local affairs and the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic.

Media excitement

Public curiosity about the “hermit kingdom”, the object of fears and fantasies, as well as the click race intrinsically linked to the economic model of certain media has made it difficult to obtain reliable data from a country hermetically closed to information.

The South Korean site Daily NK cited only one anonymous source in Pyongyang when it announced that Kim Jong-un had been on the pool table for heart surgery. TMZ , an American celebrity site, relied on Chinese and Japanese media to report his death, without confirming the information. The confidences of a senior American official, on condition of anonymity, also made the American chain CNN say that the leader of the North "  could be in grave danger after surgery  ".

The impact of communication and information technologies has exacerbated media hysteria, says Daniel Pinkston. “  A single source, however little verified, can be shared and retrieved by formal and informal sources of information around the world at lightning speed. And when official channels are limited or silent on an issue, there is nothing to counter rumors. In North Korea, there are fewer sources of information than almost anywhere else on the planet, with limited penetration of the Internet or smartphones, not to mention freedom of movement,  "he said.

When Kim Jong-il, the father of the current leader, died in 2011 , no outside intelligence agency had been informed before the news was announced two days later by North Korean Central Television (KCTV) ).

North Korea still today has almost total power to manipulate and control the flow of information so that this type of secret does not escape it. Thus, the regime can build and maintain a narrative that has touted the Kim family regime for three generations to justify its hold on power. Brendan Howe, a professor in the department of international studies at Ewha Women's University in Seoul, said that “  dictatorships are particularly vulnerable during power transfers. If a group has the ambition to challenge the regime, this is the right time to do so. For the successor, he and his supporters must ensure that they have taken the reins, so for them, keeping it secret for a short time until they are sure they can make this information public is rational. For the leader, it is also necessary to minimize or conceal any health problem, because this can be perceived as a potentially exploitable weakness.  "

In the South, the voices of two political figures claiming that Kim Jong-un was either dead or seriously ill stood out amid the torrent of rumors. And for good reason, they were two North Korean defectors who became deputies in the South during the last general elections. "  The key is that they are both defectors who represent the opposition parties of the Conservative coalition. Defectors are often extremely critical of the regimes they leave. But perhaps more importantly, as newcomers to these parties, who are very much opposed to the inter-Korean rapprochement that the current government is trying to achieve, it could have been a way for them to make a splash by showing that they know it. more about what is happening in the North than the South Korean presidency  , ”analyzes Brendan Howe. Under fierce criticism, the two defected elected deputies have since issued a public apology for their statements on the health of Kim Jong-un.

On the web, new rumors are circulating. Last, and not least: the North Korean leader is dead and was replaced by a double during his last public appearance on May 1, says, supporting photos, a former British MP. The hysteria of the only communist dynasty in the world is therefore not ready to calm down. 

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• North Korea
• Kim Jong-un

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