International media, including The Sun, New York Post and India’s Economic Times, reported on social media rumors that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un was in a coma after suffering a brain hemorrhage and had been rushed to the Beijing Union Medical College in China for urgent treatment.
These were quickly followed up by claims that the dictator had died and that his body had been secretly returned to Pyongyang, as the regime rushed to conceal his death.
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The rumor seems to have originated with Wanjun Xie, a US-based Chinese dissident and the so-called chairman of the Chinese Democratic Party, a group banned by Beijing. He has circulated several unverified claims that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has also died and has been replaced by a “body double.”
North Korean media’s ‘proof of life’
The Sun’s report, however, cited North Korea analyst Benedict Rogers, who said that there had been several such rumors in the past and that he “expected the regime to release evidence of Kim’s well-being.”
His words proved prophetic.
Rodong Sinmun (Labor Newspaper), the state-run official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, published a series of photos on Tuesday that showed Kim and his daughter, Ju-ae, touring a clothing and shoe expo on Monday, though it was not possible to verify when the images were taken.
The images were reposted in the independent NK news media outlet.
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In a later report, the BBC expressed skepticism about claims that the state media reports were a cover-up. It suggested there would be signs outside North Korea, such as preparations in China to counter fallout and increased activity at Pyongyang’s diplomatic missions.
It also cited South Korean intelligence (NSI) officials as saying they had seen no unusual activity, particularly among the North Korean defectors, who often receive information through informal networks along the Chinese border.
Kim’s health has long been the subject of scrutiny and the source of many of the rumors about his demise. He is said to be a heavy smoker, and his weight seems to have ballooned of late, with NSI assessing it to be more than 140 kilograms (310 pounds).
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