North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un isn't dead - instead he may be in hiding because he's fearful about coronavirus, it is claimed.
The claim was made following days of speculation about the despot's whereabouts, which have fuelled reports that Kim had died following surgery.
The Supreme Leader has not been seen since April 11, and missed one of the country's biggest annual celebrations four days later - an absence which has been described as "unprecedented".
But people should not read too much into him missing the Day of the Sun ceremony - which is held on April 15 each year to mark the birthday of Kim's grandfather Kim Il-Sung, branded the father of the nation - according to a South Korean minister.
South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs Kim Yeon-chul now believes that the Covid-19 crisis could be to blame.
The Unification Minister, who oversees North Korea engagement, told a parliamentary hearing: "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."
The minister said it is not unusual for Kim to vanish for weeks at a time - saying there were at least two instances since mid-January where he was out of sight for nearly 20 days.
"I don't think that's particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation," he said.
North Korea claims it has no confirmed coronavirus cases, but has taken steps to prepare for an outbreak.
US President Donald Trump mysteriously has said he has a good
idea how Kim is doing and hopes he is fine - but would
not elaborate.
North Korea has cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak.
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, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea.
"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 told Reuters.
A US intelligence source told the news agency it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to Covid-19.
The sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort
area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently.
But the source said that since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, US agencies were also still
considering the possibility Kim might be ill.
"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 open source intelligence analyst for the U.S. 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."
