“ALIVE AND WELL” OR SERIOUSLY ILL?
by Sharon Rondeau
(Apr. 26, 2020) — On Sunday morning, the whereabouts and health of North Korean communist leader Kim Jong-Un remained unknown after reports published last week speculated that he was seriously ill following a cardiac procedure.
Kim may have undergone surgery on conducted on April 12.
Over the past two weeks, rumors have circulated that he is impaired after he failed to appear at two major national holidays. According to state-run media, Kim’s last public appearance took place on April 11.
On Friday, Reuters reported that a Chinese liaison team, including several physicians, traveled to North Korea to see Kim.
It is believed the dictator is staying in Wonsan in the southeastern part of the country on the Sea of Japan, rather than in the nation’s capital of Pyongyang. His personal train has been photographed by satellite at the Wonsan residence, multiple sources reported Sunday.
South Korean sources have denied that any “unusual activity” has been detected within its northern neighbor and that their sources say Kim is “alive and well.”
North Korea is known to have nuclear weapons. In 2018, Kim appeared to be threatening the world by frequently launching test missiles and engaging in a “war of words.”
In return, President Trump said that if Kim were to attack the U.S., its interests or allies, it would respond with “fire and fury.”
The relationship between Trump and Kim later warmed, although talks in Vietnam in February 2019 between the two aimed at convincing North Korea to denuclearize have since stalled.
According to Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation on Sunday, “There is no formal succession plan in the North Korean constitution.” When asked by journalist Gillian Turner where he believes Kim is staying currently, Klingner responded, “Quite simply, we don’t know.”
Kim, believed to be 36, reportedly has health challenges and is significantly overweight.
At the end of the 7:00 a.m. EDT hour of Sunday’s “Fox & Friends,” Sen. Cory Gardner told co-host Pete Hegseth that he believes “Something is going on” with Kim due to his prolonged absence from public and North Korea’s silence on the issue.