Rumors Swirl Over Kim Jong Un's Health After North Korea Leader Not Seen For Weeks
The international media community is currently questioning the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after the dictator failed to appear in public for three weeks and missed a high-profile event.
Along with questions of health, some media outlets are even suggesting there is a power struggle in North Korea's capital of Pyongyang, while others argue that perhaps the dictator emigrated from the Asian country.
Many media outlets are arguing that the most credible source for Kim Jong Un's absence comes from a recent official documentary about the leader that aired on state-sanctioned television. The documentary describes Jong Un's current "discomfort" and shows him walking with a limp, but does not go into detail.
"The wealth and prosperity of our socialism is thanks to the painstaking efforts of our marshal, who keeps lighting the path for the people, like the flicker of a flame, despite suffering discomfort," the voiceover in the documentary states.
The country's state-run media, KCNA, also reported that Jong Un was suffering from an "uncomfortable physical condition." The New York Times added that Jong Un was reportedly "not feeling well" to explain his absence from public for the past three weeks.
Although the North Korean state media seems to suggest that there is no seriousness to Kim Jong Un's current "discomfort," some question the authenticity of such a report, as there was very little information released on the health of Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, before he suddenly died of a heart attack in 2011.
