Speculation as to the condition of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been circulating for two weeks now, following a South Korean publication report that the dictator had recently undergone cardiovascular surgery. As per a recent image of Un’s private train stationed in a resort in Wonsan, intelligence officials in both the United States and South Korea believe at the very least that he is still alive.
Officials have come to this conclusion as per the distance between the resort and the hospital that Un was reported to be treated, clocking in at nearly 150 miles away from each other. They believe that North Korean officials wouldn’t risk transporting him that far if his health wasn’t stable.
This conjecture into the highly secretive political structure of North Korea started when Un failed to attend the celebration of his grandfather’s birthday at the Palace of the Sun on April 15th, and was exacerbated with varied reports of the Chairman being gravely ill or deceased.
Experts on the country say that this isn’t entirely unusual, with the Un family being known to disappear from public eye for periods of time. They also reiterated that with North Korea, speculation is oftentimes just speculation and they can’t know anything for sure before an official confirmation.
