Home ›› 21 Apr 2020 ›› World Biz
Reports about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un falling seriously ill after heart surgery are not true, according to officials in South Korea.
Headlines that Kim Jong-un was "gravely ill", "brain-dead" or "recovering from an operation" were sure to be impossible to verify. But the presidential office in Seoul said there had been no particular signs from the North to indicate the 36-year-old leader was "gravely ill".
Kim Jong-un recently missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on 15 April. This is one of the biggest events of the year, marking the birth of the nation's founder, and Kim Jong-un has never missed it. Therefore, it seemed very unlikely that he would just choose not to show up.
Inevitably, his absence prompted speculation and rumour, none of which is easy to substantiate.
Kim Jong-un last appeared in state media on 12 April "inspecting a pursuit assault plane group" in a handout that is undated. As ever, the images portrayed him as relaxed and at ease.
According to the state media despatches, he chaired a key political meeting the day before, but he has not been seen since.
It is also not the first time rumours about his health have fired up intense flurries of speculation though, only to be dismissed later.
(Source: BBC)
