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That’s because information about the North Korean dictatorship is difficult to confirm. North Korea is among the most closed regimes in the world, and does not transparently report what happens to Kim or other country data.
The state of health of the North Korean dictator is a mystery
The first reports that Kim was “in serious condition” were relayed by US government sources to the US press. In addition, a website maintained by North Korean defectors also published that the dictator had his conditions aggravated due to obesity and smoking.
The South Korean government, which oversees the neighboring dictatorship, has not confirmed the health status, but acknowledged that Kim had undergone surgery. China, which has ties to the North Korean regime, said it had no history of the dictator.
/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_59edd422c0c84a879bd37670ae4f538a/internal_photos/bs/2019/K/Q/2d55EHRaACHBw6znNFoQ/000-1i22x1.jpg "June 30, 2019 - United States President Donald Trump crosses the border and becomes the first President of the United States to set foot on North Korean soil, accompanied by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The moment came after a symbolic handshake in the DMZ between North and South Korea - Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters")
June 30, 2019 – United States President Donald Trump crosses the border and becomes the first President of the United States to set foot on North Korean soil, accompanied by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The moment came after a symbolic handshake in the DMZ between North and South Korea – Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
And officially, the United States government has also been unable to prove history. President Donald Trump said Tuesday (21) that “no one has confirmed that the President of North Korea is ill.”
“I hope he does well. I have a very good relationship with him,” Trump said.
How did the rumors start?
Kim Jong-un, during a meeting of the Central Committee of the North Korean Workers’ Party – Photo: STR / KCNA / Via KNS / AFP Photo
Kim Jong-un missed grandfather’s birthday celebration eventKim Il-Sung, which took place on April 15. Even assassinated in 1994, the former dictator is still considered a leader by the North Korean regime today.
At the time, Kim’s absence was speculated to be a protective measure against the new coronavirus. North Korea officially says it does not have a case of Covid-19, a number questioned by international observers.
Kim’s last photograph appears on April 12 and shows him inspecting military aircraft.
Sources monitoring the North Korean regime, then, reported that Kim missed the event after undergoing cardiovascular surgery earlier this month.
What does the North Korean regime say?
South Koreans watch a television broadcast at the Seoul railway station on Monday (30) with photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – Photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP
Until Tuesday night, the North Korea had not spoken publicly about Kim Jong-un’s state of health. The regime did not even confirm that the dictator had been operated.
The state agency KCNA released a series of notes Tuesday that did not mention any changes in Kim’s health. One of the texts says that the dictator sent a message to the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, to congratulate him on his birthday on Monday.
If Kim dies, who takes over?
 /i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/rv4242_1_1_04 -04_04_04_04_04 3-northkorea-policy-succession.jpg "Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's sister and tip to take power in North Korea if the dictator dies or resigns, in a photo from March 2019 - Photo: Jorge Silva / Pool / Archive / Reuters")
Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister and tip to take power in North Korea if the dictator dies or resigns, in a photo from March 2019 – Photo: Jorge Silva / Pool / Archive / Reuters
It is another mystery. It is not known if there is a line of succession in North Korea or how it works. Until Kim Jong-un, power has shifted from father to son since Kim Il-sung, but it is unclear who would lead the country if the dictator dies or resigns.
The most likely hypothesis is that her sister, Kim Yo Jong, will assume power for a period. However, there are internal disputes between the elite of the Korean Workers’ Party, which rules the country, and which could remove it from power.
