North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the subject of rumors that he had died of a brain hemorrhage, appeared at a military event in Pyongyang. North Korean state media released photographs from the two-day gathering, a day after the National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly the rumor was false.
Kim guided the 3rd Conference of Company Commanders of the Korean People's Army, held in Pyongyang on the 22nd and 23rd, and delivered a speech on "Building a Powerful Army in the New Era and the Duties of Company Commanders," the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 24th. It was the first time in 27 years, since February 1999, that North Korean media had reported on a company commanders' conference. Attendees included senior military figures such as Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission; Defense Minister Kim Song-gi; Yu Kwang-u, first deputy director of the military's General Political Bureau; and Ri Yong-gil, chief of the General Staff, along with company commanders.
In his speech, Kim stressed that the combat capability and character of companies must be transformed to match the standing of an elite revolutionary armed force. He said the basic spirit of the conference was to build the strongest army by fostering the strongest companies and to push forward "a military revolution in our own style." He called on company commanders to strengthen ideological armament, establish military discipline and improve soldiers' living conditions.
KCNA described the conference as an occasion for developing each company into a "combined-arms, multi-purpose company" capable of carrying out independent combat missions. The company is the basic combat unit of the North Korean military. Kim's decision to gather company commanders himself is seen as an attempt to review the chain of command at frontline units and raise combat readiness.
Death Rumor Spreads; NIS Calls It False
The event took place as rumors of Kim's death circulated. The rumor originated with a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Xie Wanjun, a Chinese dissident living in the United States. He claimed that Kim had collapsed from a brain hemorrhage and died while being treated at a hospital in Beijing.
The rumor spread quickly after it was picked up by outlets including Britain's The Sun and the New York Post, but no evidence was presented. A separate claim that China had sent troops to Pyongyang in preparation for a power transfer to Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, was likewise unsupported. Xie has a record of spreading false information, including an earlier rumor that Chinese President Xi Jinping had died.
South Korean foreign affairs and security officials said they had no intelligence to support the death rumor. The NIS said the rumor was false in a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on the 23rd.
In a briefing to the same committee on Sept. 30, the NIS had assessed that Kim, who weighs in the 140-kilogram range and is severely obese, is at high risk of cardiovascular disease, but that there were no signs of health problems — citing his unlabored movements, such as running up stairs during an inspection of a destroyer, and close monitoring by a dedicated medical team. On the 20th, as the rumor was spreading, North Korean media reported with photographs that Kim had toured the "National Clothing and Footwear Exhibition 2026," held in Pyongyang the previous day, with his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Ju-ae.
From Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-un: Recurring Rumors About Leaders' Health
Rumors about the well-being of North Korea's top leaders have surfaced repeatedly in the past. In November 1986, a rumor spread that President Kim Il-sung had been assassinated, but it ended as a non-event when he appeared in public. In September 2008, speculation about the health of leader Kim Jong-il arose after he skipped a ceremony marking the founding of the regime.
Kim Jong-un himself stayed out of public view for about 40 days in the autumn of 2014 before reappearing with a cane, and speculation about his health surfaced again in April 2020 when he missed a visit to pay respects on the Day of the Sun. North Korean media later reported that he had attended the completion ceremony for the Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory.
This time as well, the unfounded death rumor appears to be subsiding following the NIS assessment and successive state media reports of Kim's public activities. Kim's appearance, however, has been confirmed only through photographs and reports carried by North Korean media, making independent verification difficult.