The last time Kim Jong-un appeared in public was on April 11. However, four days later, there was an important event to mark the birth centenary of his grandfather Kim Il Sung. The leader of north korea was not visible at the program and it led to speculations about his health. US President Donald Trump expressed concerns and the media of North Korea preferred to remain silent on the issue. At a White House press briefing the President said, “I just hope he's doing fine. I've had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. And I'd like to see him do well.

We'll see how he does,” reports The New York Times. He diluted claims that the condition of Kim was grave following a heart surgery, and cast doubts on the accuracy of the news items. Other countries like South Korea and China are also in a dilemma on the claims and North Korea did not bother to clarify.

Daily Mail UK says North Korea's state-run news agency, KCNA reported on various aspects of life in the country but there was no update on Kim Jong-un.

His name did appear against many news items but there were no reports on his whereabouts. In the opinion of a knowledgeable source, the silence of the state media is unusual. The source explains that the state media is always prompt to dispel doubts about the status of its leadership.

Donald Trump might reach out to Kim Jong-un

The absence of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from the April 15 anniversary worship was unprecedented. A Seoul-based specialty website quoted a source in the North and reported that Kim, who is in his late 30s, was recovering from a cardiovascular procedure on April 12. US President Donald Trump dropped hints that he might reach out to the leader who he met on three occasions.

In his words: “I can only say this, I wish him well. Because if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say, that the news is saying, that's a very serious condition as you know.”

Daily Mail UK adds that South Korea's presidential Blue House said there was nothing unusual from North Korea. Anyway, the White House was monitoring the situation because of different types of the news emanating from the media. Kim is a third-generation hereditary leader and came to power after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in 2011.

Kim Jong-un is the sole commander of the nuclear arsenal and Trump wants him to abandon his nuclear ambitions. In order to do that, Trump met him thrice between 2018 and 2019. The situation in the hermit kingdom remains unpredictable because there is no clear successor to Kim and the slightest instability in the country could turn into a major global risk.

Kim Jong-un was battling poor health since August 2019

According to ABC AU, reports have appeared in the media linking the leader of North Korea with health issues. One of the media outlets claim Kim was struggling with cardiovascular problems since August 2019. It added that his health had deteriorated in recent months, probably due to factors like smoking, obesity, and overwork.

It led to a cardiovascular system procedure on April 12. That could be a reason for his absence at the birthday celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.

The people of North Korea regard this date as the country's most important holiday. A spokesman for the president of South Korea says, "We have no information to confirm regarding rumours about Chairman Kim Jong-un's health issue that have been reported by some media outlets. Also, no unusual developments have been detected inside North Korea." The presidential office added that Kim Jong-un was staying at an unspecified location outside of Pyongyang in the company of some close confidants.

The nuclear ambitions of Kim Jong-un

This is not the first time he fell ill. In 2017, there were fears that Kim Jong-un has retreated into a shell due to ill health. However, he is still going strong and met the US President on three occasions to evolve a peace formula for the Korean peninsula. In 2019, Kim Jong-un sent a New Year message to Donald Trump.
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