Reports indicate that the Chinese government has dispatched a team, including medical experts, to North Korea to provide advice to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concerning his care after he underwent life-saving heart surgery during the coronavirus outbreak.
A delegation from China, led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department, reportedly departed from Beijing for North Korea on Thursday. The department serves as the primary Chinese body responsible for dealings with neighboring North Korea.
According to Reuters, the trip by the Chinese doctors and officials comes amid conflicting reports regarding the North Korean leader’s condition following the surgery. The sources declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Earlier this week, Daily NK, a website based in Seoul, reported that Kim had undergone heart surgery on April 12 and was recovering in a villa in Hyangsan County. The report added that Kim’s absence from events on April 15, commemorating the birth of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, raised concerns about his health.
However, South Korean government officials have challenged reports suggesting Kim’s grave condition after the surgery, stating that they have detected no signs of unusual activity in North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump also downplayed earlier reports, stating that he believes the report was incorrect, but declined to confirm contact with North Korean officials.