South Korea's National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee that rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's death, which have spread on social media at home and abroad, are not true.
The NIS delivered the assessment during a closed-door briefing for ruling and opposition members of the Intelligence Committee on the 23rd.
The agency had already concluded in a Sept. 30 briefing to the committee that there were no unusual signs regarding Kim's health. At the time, the NIS said Kim weighs more than 140 kilograms and is classified as severely obese, placing him in a high-risk group for cardiovascular disease, but that he performed physical movements without difficulty, including running up stairs during an inspection of a destroyer. "A dedicated medical team is managing him closely, and we judge that there are no signs of health problems," the agency said.
The briefing also covered internal developments in North Korea related to an inspection on the 20th by Kim Yo-jong, a department director at the Workers' Party Central Committee, who visited a fortification construction site along the southern border together with Pak Jong-chon, an adviser to the Ministry of National Defense. The NIS explained, however, that it is difficult to conclude from this inspection alone that Kim Yo-jong's standing has changed.
There was no separate briefing on the possibility of resumed talks between Washington and Pyongyang or on preparations for Kim Jong-un's visit to China.
The NIS faces a parliamentary audit by the Intelligence Committee on the 29th. Internal North Korean developments, including Kim's health, and major security issues are expected to be addressed in greater detail at that session.