– Whatever the reason, I apologize to everyone, says Thae.
criticized
Another prominent defender sitting in the South Korean National Assembly, Ji Seong-ho, said Friday that he received information that Kim had died after an operation and that a public announcement would be made on Saturday.
Ji, who claimed to be 99 percent sure of this, was not available for comment Monday.
The South Korean government criticizes the two defectors for carelessness and misinformation, and a party member believes that the two should be excluded from the intelligence and defense committees.
While the rumors about Kim sounded at worst, both South Korean intelligence and the Pentagon and North Korean experts called for caution. They noted that there was no information to indicate that the rumors were correct.
President Donald Trump also said he did not believe the rumors, and on Sunday he said he is pleased that Kim is back and is healthy.
Kim was photographed when he named his sister Kim Yo-jong as a new member of the Communist Party Politburo on April 11. After this, the North Korean leader was silent.
