SEOUL, (Reuters) – After weeks of intense speculation about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the country’s official media said he had attended the completion of a fertiliser plant, the first report of his appearance since April 11.
In a report yesterday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim cut a ribbon at the ceremony on Friday and those attending the event “burst into thunderous cheers of ‘hurrah!’ for the Supreme Leader…”
U.S. President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times in 2018 and 2019 in unprecedented but unsuccessful personal attempts to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons, tweeted on Saturday: “I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!”
Kim was seen in photographs smiling and talking to aides at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and also touring the plant. The authenticity of the photos, published on the website of the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, could not be verified.
A U.S. government source familiar with intelligence reporting said Washington strongly believes Kim is alive, but has not been able to confirm that the photos of Kim were taken at Friday’s event, or explain why he had not been seen for weeks.
Many in the large crowd of people at Friday’s event, described as officials of the army, the ruling party and the community who worked on the project, were wearing face masks and standing some distance from the podium where Kim and his aides took part in the ceremony.
North Korea has not reported any cases of the coronavirus and has said it has been taking tough measures to prevent an outbreak. One suggested reason for Kim’s absence is that he may have been taking precautions against coronavirus.
Kim was accompanied by senior North Korean officials, including his younger sister Kim Yo Jong and top aides vice-chairman Pak Pong Ju of the State Affairs Commission and cabinet premier Kim Jae Ryong, KCNA said.
Speculation about Kim’s health has been rife after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15. The day is a major holiday in North Korea and Kim as leader usually pays a visit to the mausoleum where his grandfather lies in state.
He last made a public appearance on April 11 attending a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party politburo.
Following his absence from the anniversary, a South Korean news outlet specialising on the North reported that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure. A flurry of other unconfirmed reports about his condition and his whereabouts followed.
Officials in South Korea and the United States expressed scepticism about the reports.
State TV footage on Saturday showed Kim’s leg movements appearing stiff and jerky and one of the images showed a green golf cart in the background, similar to one he used in 2014 after a lengthy public absence.
“Preparing desks and chairs on the stage seemed a bit rare for such an outdoor occasion,” Nam Seong-wook, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, said of the ceremony.
“Kim might have some physical conditions that prevent him from standing too long and he needs to be seated after standing up for awhile.”
Nam said if Kim was unable to stand for long periods that maybe the reason he did not attend the anniversary event in April at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where he would have had to stand for at least about an hour.
The city of Sunchon where the fertiliser factory was built is about 50 km (30 miles) north of Pyongyang in the western region, away from Wonsan, a coastal resort where South Korean and U.S. officials have said Kim may have been staying.
Satellite images showing a train usually used by Kim near the Wonsan resort, as well as boats often used by Kim and his entourage, suggested he may be staying there.
Officials in South Korea and the United States have said Kim may have taken refuge from the coronavirus, and expressed scepticism about media reports that he had a serious illness.
The former top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, said the pieces of the puzzle of Kim’s disappearance would take time to assemble.
They rumours had, however, served to focus attention on North Korea’s succession plan, which “in a monarchical and cult-like dictatorship is filled with risk, and the absence of a designated adult heir compounds that risk many times over,” he said.
South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with Pyongyang, had said it was plausible Kim was absent as a precaution over the coronavirus in view of the stringent steps taken to head off an outbreak in the country.
Harry Kazianis, of the Center for the National Interest think-tank in Washington, said this still could be the case.
“The most likely explanation for Kim’s absence is with North Korea declaring the coronavirus pandemic an existential threat … he most likely was taking steps to ensure his health or may have been impacted in some way personally by the virus,” he said.
