There are reports suggesting that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong–Un, has either died or is in critical condition with no prospects of recovery, as indicated by media outlets in China and Japan.
This follows the dispatch of a team by the Chinese government, including medical experts, to North Korea for advising on the leader’s care, after he underwent a heart surgery considered to be life-saving during the Coronavirus outbreak.
TMZ reported that a vice director of a Hong Kong-backed news channel, who apparently is the niece of a Chinese foreign minister, confirmed the stunning news of Kim Jong-un’s demise on a social media app called Weibo, reaching out to her nearly 15 million followers, citing a “very solid source.”
A Japanese magazine has also reported that he is in a “vegetative state” following a heart surgery that went wrong.
This report quotes a Chinese medical expert familiar with the situation, stating that Kim had experienced chest pain in early April and collapsed while visiting the countryside. There was a need for a stent procedure, but it appears that it either wasn’t performed promptly or was botched by the surgeon.
Concerns about his health arose when a Seoul-based website, Daily NK, reported earlier in the week that Kim was staying at a countryside villa outside Pyongyang after the surgery and was conspicuously absent from events on 15 April commemorating the birth of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, the founder of the nation, which is a significant holiday in North Korea.
There were also rumors that Kim’s health was in serious jeopardy after the surgery. However, South Korean government officials disputed these reports, stating that they had not detected any unusual activity in North Korea.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed earlier reports of Kim’s critical condition, telling reporters, ‘I think the report was incorrect,’ although he declined to confirm if he had been in contact with North Korean officials.