South Korea Government Emphasises That Kim Jong-Un is Well & Even Says Where He Is

By
Shawn Ambrose
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When reports that North Korean Kim Jong-Un was is in “grave danger” after undergoing a cardiovascular surgery, people were shocked.

Not because he was a man who had clearly reached the peak of physical fitness.

Image: Washington Post

But more because the news came out of the blue.

A US official told CNN on Monday (21 Apil) that the concerns about Kim’s health are credible but the severity is hard to assess.

Kim received the cardiovascular system procedure because of “excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork,” and is now receiving treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County following his procedure.

And because people on social media love to spread rumours, many started speculating that the dictator had died.

But now, the South Korean government is saying the North Korean leader is completely fine.

In fact, they question whether the surgery took place at all.

South Korea Government Emphasises That Kim Jong-Un is Well Despite Reports That He’s Isolating After a Surgery

Kim Jong Un is “alive and well”, says a top security adviser to the South Korea’s President Moon Jae.

The adviser, Mr Moon Chung-in, said that Kim had been staying in Wonsan – a resort town in the country’s east – since 13 April.

This could explain why Kim was absent from the 15 April celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the North’s founder.

Image: Wikipedia

Since it was the most important day in the country’s political calendar, his absence fuelled speculation that his health was deteriorating.

The South Korea government, however, refused to confirm these reports.

South Korea’s unification minister Mr Kim Yeon-chul reiterated their stand that they have “nothing to confirm” and that “no special movement has been detected inside North Korea as of now”.

But, what about the surgery?

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Well, Mr Kim Yeon-chul doubts it even happened at all, arguing that the hospital mentioned in the reports did not have the capabilities for such an operation.

Image: Giphy

Satelite Images

A website specializing in North Korean affairs published satellite images recently that researchers said showed a train “probably belonging to Kim Jong Un”.

Image: CNN

The train was reportedly parked at a railway station serving Kim’s Wonsan compound on the country’s eastern coast since at least 21 April.

They said that the train’s presence did not “indicate anything about his health” but did “lend weight” to reports he was staying in the area.

The website reported the station where the train is parked is “reserved for use by the Kim family.”

So, what does this prove?

Absolutely nothing.

The problem is, as The Straits Times pointed out, reporting from inside North Korea is notoriously difficult, especially on anything to do with its leadership.

In case you don’t know how strict they are with these things, in 2017,  a North Korean court sentenced two South Korean journalists and their publishers to death for “seriously insulting the dignity” of the country.

How? By reviewing and interviewing the British authors of a book about life in North Korea.

Image: Giphy

And in 2009, they sentenced two American journalists to twelve years’ hard labour after they crossed into North Korea from Mainland China without a visa.

Yes, it’s safe to say they’re a little strict when it comes to the law.

That’s why Mr Andrei Lankov, director of Korea Risk Group, said all reports should be “taken with a grain of salt”.

But considering this is a country that just last month said they had 0 Covid-19 cases even though there were reports that 7,000 people were being held for “medical monitoring”, maybe we should take all reports with a huge bowl of salt instead.

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]