North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has fallen into a coma, a former South Korean official claims on the heels of reports that the northern leader owes part of his power to his younger sister.
Chang Song-min, a former aide to late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, has claimed that Hermit Kindom’s honcho has become seriously ill this year amid speculation about his limited public appearance, the Mirror reported.
“I see him in a coma, but his life is not over,” he told South Korean media.
The former helper added that the leader’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was ready to help lead the country.
“A complete follow-up structure has not been formed, so Kim Yo-jong will be brought forward because the vacuum cannot be maintained for an extended period,” he said.
His claims come after South Korean spies revealed that the 33-year-old sister now serves as his “de facto second-in-command”, although she has not been appointed as his successor.
In a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, the National Intelligence Service said the change of power was partly trying to “reduce the stress (Kim’s) of his government and prevent criminality in case of policy failure,” the Yonhap News Agency reported.
“Kim Yo Jong, the first director of the deputy department of the Central Committee of the Labor Party, directs general state affairs on the basis of the delegation,” the bureau said.
Kim has only been seen in public a handful of times this year, after being rumored to be alive in April due to a heart attack.
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