Surge in Rumors About Stroke and Possible Death of North Korean Leader

What has happened to the leader of North Korea? Rumors about the health of North Korea’s leader and even the possibility of his death have intensified following a visit by a Chinese medical delegation. Official sources from China and North Korea have remained silent on these reports so far.

Various sources reported that 36-year-old Kim Jong-un underwent heart surgery and wrote that he is in a coma following the operation. Some sources even reported the death of North Korea’s leader and his possible successor.

The rumors started when on Monday, April 21st, the website “Daily NK”, which is run from Seoul and focuses on North Korean news, reported that Kim was hospitalized on April 12th (two weeks earlier) and shortly thereafter underwent cardiovascular surgery.

“CNN” reported, citing a U.S. government official, that Kim’s health condition is critical.

On Friday, April 10th, a medical delegation was sent to North Korea to assess Kim Jong-un’s health condition.

Japanese Media Reports

The Japanese website “Shukan Gendai” reported on Saturday, April 10th, that the surgery on North Korea’s leader was unsuccessful. According to Shukan Gendai’s report, North Korea’s leader is alive but his brain shows no activity. According to this website, Kim Jong-un is in a “vegetative state”. This condition occurs in patients due to brain damage who have fallen into a coma.

Possibility of Kim Jong-un’s Death

“New York Post” reported, citing statements by the vice director of Hong Kong’s HKSTV satellite television, that Kim Jong-un has died. The vice director of Hong Kong’s satellite television said that “very reliable sources” informed him that Kim Jong-un has passed away.

Speculation about Kim Jong-un’s death intensified, particularly after a Chinese medical delegation’s visit to assess North Korea’s leader’s condition.

Users of “Weibo”, a Chinese social media network similar to Facebook, widely shared news of North Korea’s leader’s death.

Christian Taaks, director of the Friedrich Naumann Institute in Seoul, told German media that many sensational reports have been published, but Kim’s absence from the 115th anniversary celebration of his grandfather’s birth should have serious reasons.

Kim Jong-un unexpectedly did not attend last week (April 15th) the birthday celebration of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea. Kim Il-sung died in 1994.

Speculation About North Korean Leadership Succession

Regarding the possibility of North Korea’s leader’s succession, it has been said that the 31-year-old sister of North Korea’s leader, who accompanied Kim during his meeting with Trump and South Korea’s president, has better chances.

According to reports by South Korean and Japanese media, Kim Jong-un’s wife has been less visible in public, and his seven-year-old daughter also has no chance of succeeding her father.

Donald Trump’s Reaction

Donald Trump, the U.S. President, who has previously met with Kim three times, wished him good health despite no accurate reports about Kim Jong-un’s health condition being published. Trump wrote in a message to North Korea’s government that he has “best wishes for him” and hopes that he will “get well”.

The U.S. President said that if the “reports” are true, Kim is in “very serious condition”, but he dismissed reports of Kim Jong-un’s death as false.

Source: DW