The leader of North Korea, who has been out of the media spotlight about a month ago, has not attended a major celebration, fuelling speculations ove his health and control over the country.
Kim Jong-un unwell, N. Korean media reports
The national KCNA news agency has not mentioned Kim Jong-un among
the officials who on Friday paid annual homage to the mausoleum
of the deceased national leaders, Kim’s father and grandfather.
It’s the first time in three years that the North Korean leader
did not participate in the event, marking the anniversary of the
ruling Workers’ Party foundation.
A floral tribute with Kim's name was laid next to the statues of
Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung at the entrance to the Kumsusan
mausoleum, though.
The last time Kim, who is believed to be either 30 or 31 years
old, was seen in public was on September 3 when he and his wife
attended a music concert in Pyongyang.
Broken ankles, gout and diabetes have been mentioned among
possible reasons preventing the leader from appearing in public.
A source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing has said Kim
actually hurt his leg taking part in a military drill, but
despite that was still in “total control” of the
country.
"He injured his ankle and knee around late August or early
September while drilling because he is overweight. He limped
around in the beginning but the injury worsened," said the
source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"He ordered all the generals to take part in drills and he
took part too. They were crawling and running and rolling around,
and he pulled a tendon."
The source said Kim needed about 100 days to recover.
South Korean officials have also dismissed speculations of Kim
possibly losing grip on the country because of his health.
Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-Chul pointed to the
North Korean state media reports about Kim's leadership.
"Judging from these, it seems that Kim Jong-Un is ruling
normally," Lim said, adding that the government had no
specific intelligence on Kim's health.
Still, experts believe the longer Kim stays out of spotlight the
more likely this is to have an impact on his leadership.
"But if he's forced to stay away for an extended period, it
could cause murmurings within the political elite and weaken
Kim's control," Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at the Sejong
Institute think tank in Seoul, told AFP.
Speculation over what could be going on in Pyongyang is unlikely
to subside until Kim resumes his media presence.
On example is the unexpected visit on Saturday of a high-level North Korea
delegation to the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon,
South Korea, which gave rise to two conflicting theories.
Some analysts saw in it a sign of Kim having been sidelined in a
power struggle, while others believed it was a clear signal of
Kim’s authority remaining unshattered.