Kim Jong-un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill, South Korea’s minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday.
North Korean leader Kim’s absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il-sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since. That has led to days of speculation over his health.
South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim might be ill.
North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kim’s absence from the ceremonies was not particularly unusual, unification minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, said.
He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong-un had been out of sight for nearly 20 days. “I don’t think that’s particularly unusual given the current situation.”
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had a good idea how Kim Jong-un was and hoped he was fine, but would not elaborate.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim’s health and he was paying close attention to developments.
North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus.
But if Kim was hiding out due to fears surrounding Covid-19, it would “puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed”, said Chad O’Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea.
“If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim,” he said.
An authoritative source familiar with US intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to Covid-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest this.
But the source said since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, US agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously.
T
— Reuters
North Korea’s Kim may be trying to avoid coronavirus
Image: GETTY IMAGES
Kim Jong-un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill, South Korea’s minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday.
North Korean leader Kim’s absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il-sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since. That has led to days of speculation over his health.
South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim might be ill.
North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kim’s absence from the ceremonies was not particularly unusual, unification minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, said.
He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong-un had been out of sight for nearly 20 days. “I don’t think that’s particularly unusual given the current situation.”
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had a good idea how Kim Jong-un was and hoped he was fine, but would not elaborate.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim’s health and he was paying close attention to developments.
North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus.
But if Kim was hiding out due to fears surrounding Covid-19, it would “puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed”, said Chad O’Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea.
“If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim,” he said.
An authoritative source familiar with US intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to Covid-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest this.
But the source said since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, US agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously.
T
— Reuters
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