Reuters, meanwhile report that a special train possibly belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was spotted this week at a resort town in the country, according to satellite images reviewed by a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, amid conflicting reports about Kim’s health and whereabouts.
Pyongyang insists that everything is business as usual, while military and intelligence officials in the US, China and South Korea doubt the veracity of any reports to the contrary. Military forces across the borders in China and South Korea have not changed their posture, nor are they preparing to do so, which appears to confirm that Kim is still very much in charge, despite his last appearance being nearly two weeks ago.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that television coverage in the secretive northern state spent the day trumpeting the 88th anniversary of the birth of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA), which falls on April 25, without the nation’s chief heralding the event.
Hong Kong Satellite Television reported that the supreme leader was dead but this has not been confirmed by U.S. sources with a senior Pentagon official not authorized to speak on the record, telling Newsweek: “North Korean military readiness remains within historical norms and there is no further evidence to suggest a significant change in defensive posturing or national level leadership changes.”
Nevertheless, the speculation is unsurprising; along with Kim’s failure to appear at Kumsusan Palace, state media did not report the April 14 short-range missile launches in honor of Kim Il Sung, or whether party officials had an annual national meeting on the eve of the April 15 birthday. In addition, Kim Jong Un has no clear successor; if he dies, the inevitable instability would pose a major international risk. In the past, changes in leadership have led to an increase in missile testing, external provocations, and internal purges to rein in dissent and demonstrate clout.
In 2014, Kim disappeared for more than a month before reemerging on North Korean media sporting a limp. Renowned as a heavy smoker, and having gained weight since he assumed power in 2011 after his father Kim Jong-Il died from a heart attack, there has been speculation about his health, especially given his family history of cardiovascular problems.
Reuters reported that a South Korean source said that Kim was alive and would soon make a public appearance.
On Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on the history of the KPRA and the role Kim Il-Sung played in founding it when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, according to Yonhap. Meanwhile Pyongyang mouthpiece, the Rodong Sinmun, emphasized Kim Jong-un’s call for strengthening the country’s military power and the army’s support for his leadership.
U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo was asked about Kim’s condition on Fox News, and responded: “I don’t have anything I can share with you tonight, but the American people should know we’re watching the situation very keenly.”
