Kim Jong Un may be out of the public eye because he is trying to avoid coronavirus rather than because he is seriously ill or dead, a South Korean minister said today.
The dictator's absence from public view since he missed a major ruling party showpiece on April 15 has sparked a wave of speculation about his health.
But the South's minister for North Korean affairs played down the rumours, saying Kim had been out of sight for lengthy periods before.
'I don't think that's particularly unusual given the current situation,' Kim Yeon-chul said at a parliamentary hearing.
Kim was last seen in public on April 11, presiding over a meeting of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party.
His absence from the birthday tribute to his grandfather Kim Il Sung on April 15 was unprecedented, sparking speculation about his welfare.
There have been reports that Kim had heart surgery and was subsequently critically ill or even dead, but none of these have been confirmed.
There has been no concrete proof of life in Pyongyang's state media, beyond reports of messages sent in Kim's name.
South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim is seriously ill.
The North insists it has no cases of coronavirus, but its claims are regarded as highly doubtful and the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak.
With that in mind, Kim's absence from major ceremonies should not be regarded as unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said today
'It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung´s birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns,' he said.
He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim's health and he was was paying close attention to developments.
North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus.
But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would 'puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed', said Chad O'Carroll of monitoring group Korea Risk Group.
'If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim,' he said.
According to the Washington Post, the rumours over Kim's health have sparked panic buying in Pyongyang.
People have stocked up on rice, liquor, cigarettes, canned fish and electronics while helicopters have been flying low over the city, it is reported.
A source familiar with US intelligence reporting said it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to avoid Covid-19.
The sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan could suggest he may be there or have been there recently.
But the source said that US agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously.
Monitoring project 38 North said on Saturday that satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kim's at Wonsan.
While North Korean state media outlets have not reported on Kim's whereabouts since April 11, they have carried near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages.
That suggests that he is still carrying out his duties, the South Korean minister said, although some experts say they are not necessarily conclusive.
The letters apparently sent in his name include a message of gratitude to workers in a tourist zone and a letter to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
'I agree with the South Korean government's assessment that there is no reason to think Kim Jong Un is not performing his duties,' said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea intelligence analyst for the US government.
'That said, I would not read too much into letters signed by Kim Jong Un. I would guess that most of them are not written by him anyway.'
This article has been adapted from its original source.
