Previously, Kim Jong-un did not attend the inauguration of the 108th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birth in Kimsun Palace for the first time in many years.
The United States is studying the intelligence on the deteriorating health of DPRK State Council Chairman Kim Jong-un after his surgery. This was reported by CNN on Monday, citing a source in the U.S. administration.
According to the CNN, on April 15, for the first time in many years Kim Jong-un did not attend the ceremony with the participation of representatives of the country’s leadership on the anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birthday. According to the publication, this circumstance gave rise to speculation about the DPRK leader’s well-being. The U.S. intelligence community is monitoring information that Kim Jong-un’s health may be in serious danger after surgical intervention by doctors, CNN reports citing its source. The source does not disclose other details.
The TV company sought comments from the CIA, the State Department and the White House National Security Council (NSC), as well as South Korean authorities. CNN has not yet specified the outcome of its request.
April 16, the Central Telegraph Agency of Korea (CTAK) published a report, according to which, for the first time in many years, Kim Jong-un was not present in Kimsun Palace at the ceremony on the 108th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birth. TSAK did not name the reason why the DPRK leader was not present at the ceremony, which he had consistently attended in previous years to commemorate his grandfather.
Kim Jong-un has not been in public since April 11, when he held a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party (KPC) on domestic politics. In particular, the DPRK leader did not attend the annual session of the Supreme People’s Assembly held in Pyongyang last Sunday to discuss a number of bills and adopt the country’s 2020 budget. CTAK also did not publish a report on the April 14 launches of anti-ship cruise missiles of the “air-to-surface” type in DPRK, from which observers concluded that the leader of the republic was not present at these tests.