China has reportedly sent a team of medical experts to North Korea to advise on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, as the dictator has not been seen in public for two weeks.
“The trip by the Chinese doctors and officials comes amid conflicting reports about the health of the North Korean leader,” Reuters reported, adding that it “was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signaled in terms of Kim’s health.”
Reuters continued, “A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department left Beijing for North Korea on Thursday, two of the people said.”
Reuters reporter Josh Smith noted that a South Korean source told Reuters that South Korea’s intelligence believed that Kim was alive and was likely to make an appearance soon.
Smith added, “An official familiar with U.S. intelligence said that Kim Jong Un was known to have health problems but they had no reason to conclude he was seriously ill or unable eventually to reappear in public.”
An official familiar with U.S. intelligence said that Kim Jong Un was known to have health problems but they had no reason to conclude he was seriously ill or unable eventually to reappear in public.
— Josh Smith (@joshjonsmith) April 24, 2020
CNN reported at the start of the week that sources had indicated that they believed that Kim was in some sort of serious condition following a medical procedure:
The US is monitoring intelligence that suggests North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after undergoing a previous surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge.
A second source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US has been closely monitoring reports on Kim’s health.
Kim recently missed the celebration of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting.
Another US official told CNN Monday that the concerns about Kim’s health are credible but the severity is hard to assess.
This is not the first time that Kim has gone missing from the public spotlight for a period of time without explanation.
In 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kim had gone missing for 5 weeks, during which he missed “a midnight gathering at the mausoleum in Pyongyang for his father and grandfather to mark the anniversary of the foundation of North Korea’s ruling party.”
Bloomberg News reported after CNN’s story that U.S. officials were not even sure if Kim was alive.
Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeted, “Trump admin received information that Kim Jong Un had heart surgery last week and if he’s alive, his health is poor, I’m told. KJU hasn’t been seen at key events in recent days. It’s unclear to US officials if he’s dead or alive.”
Jacobs added, “Trump administration officials are looking into who would be in the line of succession if Kim Jong Un dies or is already dead, I’m told.”
Trump administration officials are looking into who would be in the line of succession if Kim Jong Un dies or is already dead, I'm told.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 21, 2020
News wire UPI reported on Friday that Kim “may have left Pyongyang and could be sheltering in an undisclosed location on North Korea’s eastern coast, according to multiple press reports.”
It has also been reported that North Korea may be dealing with an outbreak of the coronavirus in their country despite claiming that they do not have any cases.
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