Speculation grows as Kim misses key political event
Print Edition
NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-Un apparently missed a key political event yesterday, extending a month-long absence that has fuelled speculation about his physical and political health, although South Korea believes he remains in full control.
Kim was not listed by the state KCNA news agency as being among the officials who made an annual pilgrimage to the mausoleum in Pyongyang that houses the remains of his father and grandfather.
However, a floral tribute bearing Kim’s name was presented to the two statues of Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung to mark the 69th anniversary of the North Korean ruling party’s foundation, KCNA said.
Kim, believed to be 30 or 31, has not been seen since September 3 when he attended a concert with his wife in Pyongyang.
Competing theories for his disappearance range widely from an extended rest period to a leadership coup, via a long list of possible ailments, including broken ankles, gout and diabetes.
Kim’s absence from the Kumsusan mausoleum visit was significant as he has attended each year since coming to power after his father’s death in 2011.
The explanation with the most currency is that a health issue that has left him temporarily incapacitated.
“My own feeling is that there has been a health problem, but not a particularly serious one,” said Chung Young-Chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Sogang University in Seoul.
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