Republic of Korea’s Unification Minister Kim Yong Chul recalled that there had been at least two periods before when the DPRK leader disappeared from the sight of foreign observers for 20 days or more.
The reason why DPRK leader Kim Jong-un has not been appearing in public recently may not be his illness, but the precautions taken in connection with the spread of coronavirus. This was stated by Minister of Unification of the Republic of Korea Kim Yong Chul in a speech in Parliament on Tuesday.
“Indeed, since Kim Jong-un came to power, he has never missed the anniversary celebrations of Kim Il-sung’s [first president] birth. However, many events, including the banquet, were cancelled for fear of the coronavirus”, – the minister said.
He recalled that there had been at least two periods before when the DPRK leader disappeared from the sight of foreign observers for 20 days or more. “I don’t think the current situation is anything unusual, given the spread of infection around the world,” added Kim Young Chul.
Moreover, Unification Minister called the spread of health reports on Kim Jong-un’s condition an “info-demia” and the reports themselves a fake. According to him, the medical facility where the DPRK leader allegedly underwent surgery does not even have the necessary equipment for that.
The DPRK leader has not appeared in public since April 11, when he held a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (CPC) on domestic policy issues. In particular, Kim Jong-un did not attend the annual session of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPC) on 12 April, and did not attend the ceremonial ceremony at Kimsun Palace on 15 April on the occasion of Kim Il-sung’s 108th birthday. Kim Jong-un’s absence from the ranks of the country’s leadership on the main national holiday gave rise to rumors about the possible illness of the DPRK leader, which at present are not commented on by officials and mass media of the People’s Republic.