Rumors: Possible Coup in North Korea

Sources within North Korea have reported that the nation imposed a ban on new travel passes for entering or leaving the capital, Pyongyang, on Sept. 27. The new restrictions apply even to permanent residents of Pyongyang which, by some experts’ speculation, “suggests there has been either been an attempted coup or that the authorities there have uncovered some sort of plot against the leadership.” Toshimitsu Shigemura, an authority on North Korea and professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, told The Telegraph, “If it is a military-backed coup, then the situation in Pyongyang will be very dangerous and I have heard reports that Kim has been moved out of the capital.” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since Sept. 4.