SOMETHING’S UP

Kim Jong Un Is Not Working as Normal, Says South Korea

Reports of the death of North Korean leader have been dismissed by the South.

South Korea has said it has no reason to believe North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is dead, despite the fact that he has made no public appearances in weeks. However, Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea’s National Assembly, told a gathering of experts on Monday that Kim’s absence from the public eye suggests “he has not been working as normally… which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns.” North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but international experts have cast doubts on that claim. On Monday, North Korean state media carried reports that Kim had sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist resort in Wonsan, where the leader, 36, is thought to be staying. However, no new photos of Kim were shown and there were no reports on his whereabouts.