North Korea: Kim Jong-un's prolonged absence fuels speculation about his health

Some specialists argue that the North Korean dictator is "practically dead", while the authorities of South Korea remain cautious, even believing that "the leader could be on a regional tour".

The silence surrounding the state of health of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, feeds the most diverse rumors and more or less serious theories.  Latest information to date, that of 38 North.  Saturday, April 25, the very serious American analysis center announced the presence in Wonsan of the special train of the leader.  "He was not there on April 15 but was there on April 21 and 23," the center wrote on its website, using satellite photos.  Known for its tourist activities, this port city in eastern North Korea is home to a residential complex that can accommodate Kim Jong-un.

"The presence of the train does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader and indicates anything about his health, but it does lend weight to claims that he is staying in an elite area on the east coast of the country  .  "

 On the same day, Reuters reported, citing three sources, that a Chinese medical team left for the capital, Pyongyang, on Thursday April 23.  The delegation would be led by a representative from the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the main liaison body with North Korea.

Last public intervention on April 11

 These elements add to those that have accumulated since Kim Jong-un's "disappearance": his last public intervention dates back to April 11.  He did not participate in the traditional tribute paid for his grandfather Kim Il-sung's birthday on April 15 (1912-1994), or in the April 25 ceremonies celebrating the creation of the People's Army.

The North Korean daily Rodong Sinmun announced in its April 26 edition that it had sent a congratulatory message to workers in Samjiyong (in the northeast, where a new city was inaugurated in 2019).  The official North Korean news agency KCNA reports on activities, including the sending on April 22 of a message to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.  No photos have been published, however, speculating on his absences attributed to his health, which is said to be fragile due to his overweight and smoking.