'Kim appears to be on northern outskirt of Pyongyang'
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is believed to be around Pyongyang amid growing speculation that he may be seriously ill.
“I’ve been told he is staying somewhere north of Pyongyang,” Han said during a National Assembly audit of his ministry. “I’ve been updated with trustworthy information provided by military intelligence.”
Speculation has grown concerning the health of the North Korean leader following his absence from a ceremony Sunday to greet Pyongyang athletes returning from the Incheon Asian Games.
Observers said Tuesday that Kim may indeed be ill. But they added he is unlikely to be in critical condition and is still very much in charge of the dictatorial regime.
“He wants to show up in public in an imposing manner and that may be the reason he was not present during the ceremony,” said Hong Hyun-ik, a senior researcher at Sejong Institute, a global policy think tank. “Television footage of Kim limping could hurt his image and lead to him being viewed as a lame-duck leader.”
Hong was referring to the incident where North Korean state television showed footage of Kim limping during a July event. This triggered speculation he was suffering from physical ailments, including a possible case of gout.
“I don’t think he’s suffered a stroke or other similar illnesses that could cause him to lose consciousness,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
“He’s still in charge of the communist regime. And that’s why Choe Ryong-hae delivered his message to the North Korean athletes and sports officials at the ceremony on Sunday.”
Choe, a secretary of Pyongyang’s ruling Workers’ Party, congratulated the national team on behalf of the absentee ruler for the team’s performance at the games. North Korea fared well with a total of 36 medals - 11 golds, 11 silvers and 14 bronzes - at the quadrennial event, which ended Saturday.
Choe was among the close confidants of the North Korean leader, which also include Hwang Pyong-so and Kim Yang-gon, who made a surprise visit to Incheon to attend the closing ceremony of Asia’s biggest sports event.
During their one-day trip, the delegation also provided a rare case of North Korean engagement when they met with South Korean National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-jin and Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae. The meetings were the highest-level talks held between the two sides under the administration of President Park Geun-hye; they also agreed to hold further talks as early as later this month.
Pyongyang’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Korean Central Television (KCTV) publicized the group’s departure to the South.
They did not report about the group’s diplomatic achievement when they returned late Saturday, however.
Hong said such differences in reporting were based on the propaganda value of news for the North Korean public.
“The agreement between the two Koreas was not seemingly impactful for the North Korean people,” he said. “The departure of the trio, however, was meant to leave the impression that Kim Jong-un cared about the athletes who did well in an international sporting event.”
On Friday, North Korea is scheduled to hold its annual ceremony to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party.
Yoo said it would not be surprising for the North Korean leader to be absent at this ceremony too, which is one of the regime’s biggest national events.
“Kim Jong-un will want to show up exactly when he’s ready and not hurry back,” he said.