North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un is extremely unwell after a surgery, CNN reported, citing an nameless US government source. Rumors of Kim’s alleged health issues have also circulated in defector-run media.
“The US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge,” CNN’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto reported on Monday evening.
The scoop came as Daily NK, a Seoul-based outlet, reported that Kim underwent a “cardiovascular surgical procedure” on April 12 and is believed to be recuperating at a resort on the country’s east coast.
While the reports have spread like wildfire online, neither has been supported by evidence, with both relying heavily on anonymous sources. The Daily NK said its report is based on a single source inside the reclusive state.
The report has been picked up by an array of western media outlets, including Bloomberg, The Washington Times and others. While some jumped to far-flung conclusions about Kim’s condition, going as far as to suggest that the North Korean leader might be on his death bed, others urged caution, noting that “sketchy unverified reports” cannot be taken at face value.
Lot of conflicting info. I’m inclined to go with Reuters version for now: “reports of my death are premature.” Let’s not jump to conclusions based on sketchy unverified reports just yet. https://t.co/AeRfWcbFvm pic.twitter.com/kcXqoLsGF2
— Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) April 21, 2020
Chad O'Carroll, founder of Korea Risk Group and a prominent figure among North Korea watchers, reported that there have been several conflicting theories about what could be going on with Kim, if anything at all. The reports are strikingly different in nature, each naming distinct health issues Kim is reportedly dealing with. One of the rumors has it that the North Korean leader is recovering from a heart surgery, while the other claims he has been battling an unspecified brain disease and is currently in a coma. The latest theory, according to O’Carroll, is that Kim is “recovering from ankle problems.”
It IS definitely notable that Kim Jong Un was missing all last week, given the 04.15 holidays.
— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) April 21, 2020
But it should be acknowledged that there are *many* rumors about his health going around at the moment.
Some even regurgitate stuff we heard when KJU disappeared in late 2014.
O'Carroll has poured some cold water onto the speculation, citing his own “US source,” who told him that, despite all the fuss, one shouldn’t be “surprised” if Kim returns to the public eye sometime soon, as if nothing had happened.
With speculations about Kim’s condition gaining traction online, Seoul appeared to dismiss the CNN “scoop” as yet another nothing-burger. A South Korean government source, cited by Yonhap, reported that Seoul “has seen no unusual signs” with regard to Kim’s health, noting that the North Korean leader was out and about in public “until recent days.”
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