North Korea releases 'proof of life' pictures of Kim Jong-un following bizarre death rumors
North Korea has dismissed speculation Kim Jong-Un has died following wild speculation overnight.
State media in North Korea published photos of the dictator on Monday (October 19) looking fit and healthy, dismissing speculation the leader had fallen into a coma after suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage.
Jong-un posed for photos as he visited a clothing and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang alongside his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and daughter, Kim Ju Ae.
The New York Post reported that the North Korean supreme leader appeared 'animated' as he examined children's footwear on show, while he was also seen inspecting women’s coats at the clothing exhibition.
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The photos released by Korean Central News Agency show Jong-un taking a keen interest in the exhibition, while organizers explained to the supreme leader what was going on.
It comes after chairman of the banned opposition group, China Democracy Party Xie Wanjun claimed medics had been ‘dispatched’ to treat the autocrat.
"It is rumored that recently, Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Supreme Leader of North Korea, suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a coma," Wanjun claimed on X.
Xie claimed Jong-un had been transported from North Korea for emergency treatment to China’s Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing.
Xie also shared what appeared to be a notice from the PLA’s Northern Theater Command, which stated: "In preparation for a potential civil war in North Korea, the Northern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has entered a state of high alert (Level III), and all troops within the theatre command have been ordered to...Leave, family visits, and demobilisation/retirement are suspended; personnel who have left the area are recalled; and strict control over personnel entry and exit is enforced!”
Well, such unverified claims have been debunked by North Korea, with Jong-un seemingly in a perfect state of health.
It's not the first time speculation has got out of control surrounding the North Korean supreme leader, with previous rumors surfacing in both 2014 and 2020 that he'd died.
Back in August, President Donald Trump stated that he expected to meet Jong-un before the year was out after the POTUS scaled back joint military exercises between the US and South Korea.
However, according to Reuters, the supreme leader's sister, Kim Yo Jong, insisted that personal chemistry between the two leaders won't be allowed to shape North Korea's military strategy, as she shut down the idea of Trump and Jong-un meeting.
Topics: North Korea, Kim Jong-un, World News
Callum Jones