North Korean state media released photographs of Kim Jong Un shortly\nafter rumours of his death began circulating online (KCNA).<\/p>\n
Kim Jong Un has appeared in North Korean state media looking in\napparently good health, despite rumours that he had died of a brain\nhaemorrhage.<\/p>\n
Photographs published by the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed the\n42-year-old dictator visiting a clothing and footwear exhibition with\nhis daughter.<\/p>\n
The images appeared hours after a China-born dissident living in the\nUnited States claimed, without providing evidence, that Kim had been\ntaken to a hospital in Beijing in a coma and subsequently died.<\/p>\n
For North Korea watchers, rumours of this kind have become almost\nroutine.<\/p>\n
In one of the world\u2019s most secretive countries, facts are often\ndifficult to verify, creating fertile ground for speculation.<\/p>\n
The latest claim came from Wanjun Xie, who describes himself as the\nchairman of the China Democracy Party, a group banned by the Chinese\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
He has previously circulated unverified claims, including speculation\nabout the death of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.<\/p>\n
Xie alleged that Kim had suffered a severe brain haemorrhage and was\ntransferred to Beijing because North Korea lacked adequate medical\nfacilities to treat him.<\/p>\n
He claimed that Kim later died and that his body was secretly\nreturned to North Korea while the regime sought to conceal his\ndeath.<\/p>\n
But the photographs tell a different story.<\/p>\n
Kim was seen inspecting exhibition stands, accompanied by Kim Ju Ae\nand the group of officials who usually attend him.<\/p>\n
It is impossible to know exactly when the photographs were taken, but\nthere are other reasons to doubt the claim.<\/p>\n
A sudden deterioration in Kim\u2019s health would probably produce signs\nbeyond North Korea\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n
China would likely tighten security along its border in anticipation\nof possible instability or a wave of refugees.<\/p>\n
There might also be increased activity around North Korean diplomatic\nmissions.<\/p>\n
North Korean defectors in South Korea often gather information\nthrough informal networks in China\u2019s border region. But none of these\nindications has been observed.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence officials told the Yonhap news\nagency that they had received no information supporting the report.<\/p>\n
Kim Ju Ae made her first public appearance in 2022. In this\nphotograph, she and her father attend a dinner marking the 75th\nanniversary of the Korean People\u2019s Army in February 2023 (Reuters).<\/p>\n
The latest rumour also recalls a series of similar reports that\nproved false.<\/p>\n
In 2020, a prominent North Korean defector said he was \u201c99% certain\u201d\nKim had died after undergoing cardiovascular surgery.<\/p>\n
Kim reappeared in public shortly afterwards, disproving the\nclaim.<\/p>\n
So why do such rumours keep emerging?<\/p>\n
One reason is the question of succession.<\/p>\n
North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family for three\ngenerations.<\/p>\n
But what happens after Kim Jong Un is less clear than the succession\nprocess in previous generations.<\/p>\n
Kim Il Sung spent decades preparing his son, Kim Jong Il, to take\npower.<\/p>\n
When Kim Il Sung died in 1994, the succession plan was well\nestablished. The transition to Kim Jong Il was relatively smooth.<\/p>\n
Kim Jong Un\u2019s rise to power was faster and more uncertain.<\/p>\n
After Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke in 2008, his youngest son was\nrapidly promoted to a series of senior positions.<\/p>\n
By the time his father died in 2011, Kim Jong Un had been publicly\nintroduced as the next leader.<\/p>\n
Even so, he spent years consolidating his power by removing rivals\nand eliminating those considered threats.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s intelligence agency now believes he may be preparing\nhis daughter to succeed him.<\/p>\n
Kim\u2019s daughter has appeared increasingly often at major events and\nhigh-profile military displays.<\/p>\n
However, Kim Ju Ae is thought to be only about 13.<\/p>\n
North Korea has never been led by a woman, and she has not been\nofficially designated as heir.<\/p>\n
Her young age could also leave her vulnerable in a struggle for power\nif a leadership transition took place.<\/p>\n
All this uncertainty helps explain why reports about Kim Jong Un\u2019s\nhealth attract so much attention.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s intelligence agency believes Kim may be preparing his\ndaughter to succeed him (KCNA).<\/p>\n
A second reason is that the rumours are not entirely implausible.<\/p>\n
Kim is known to be overweight and a heavy smoker.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s National Intelligence Service has repeatedly warned\nthat his lifestyle puts him at greater risk of cardiovascular\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Heart disease and strokes are also known to run in the Kim\nfamily.<\/p>\n
If something happened to Kim, the consequences would be significant\nfor neighbouring countries and the wider international community.<\/p>\n
A sudden leadership crisis could raise difficult questions about who\ncontrolled North Korea\u2019s nuclear weapons and whether political\ninstability might follow.<\/p>\n
Could a struggle for power prompt hardliners to act more\naggressively?<\/p>\n
Could unrest trigger a refugee crisis along the Chinese border?<\/p>\n
Such questions concern not only Beijing and Seoul but also\nWashington, which has around 28,000 military personnel stationed in\nSouth Korea.<\/p>\n
Intelligence agencies therefore monitor Kim Jong Un closely so they\ncan prepare for any eventuality.<\/p>\n
A secretive country and an easy target for fake news<\/p>\n
But North Korea\u2019s continued status as one of the world\u2019s most\nsecretive countries also makes it an easy target for false reports.<\/p>\n
Only a small number of people have regular access to its leader.<\/p>\n
Even intelligence agencies struggle to obtain reliable information,\nand reports are often accompanied by caveats that they are unverified or\nconsidered highly likely rather than established fact.<\/p>\n
The North Korean regime itself is also often suspected of\ndeliberately sowing confusion by leaking misleading information to\nobscure what is really happening inside the country.<\/p>\n
It is therefore difficult to believe that Wanjun Xie suddenly\nobtained information of such importance when the same information\nescaped the notice of those tasked with monitoring the situation.<\/p>\n
He may simply be seeking attention. Or he may want to embarrass\nBeijing by highlighting the relationship between China and Pyongyang,\nalthough the closeness of the two countries has long been widely\nknown.<\/p>\n
Whatever his motives, Xie is not the first person to exploit the\nuncertainty surrounding North Korea\u2019s leadership.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/why-do-rumours-of-kim-jong-uns-death-keep-emerging-1792583593", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }