History of North Korea’s secrecy over leaders’ health

The health of North Korea’s leaders in a nuclear-armed country dominated by the Kim family dynasty since its founding in 1948 is generally a tightly hidden state secret. Current leader Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be 37 years old, sparked fresh speculation when it initially appeared that he had lost a significant amount of weight in June. State media made a rare mention of the issue last week, citing an unnamed Pyongyang resident, who said everyone was concerned about the “weak” leader. Here are other ways North Korea’s government has handled reports about the health of its supreme leaders over the years.

missed anniversary

Speculation about Kim’s health exploded in early 2020 when he was not featured in state media coverage on April 15 of the birth anniversary celebrations of the state’s founder, Kim Il Sung. Despite intense speculation and rumors in the international media, state outlets never mentioned or explained the absence. South Korea’s spy agency said in May 2020 that Kim was performing his duties as normal, but had reduced public activity due to coronavirus concerns.

‘Uncomfortable’

In 2014, after speculation that Kim’s ill health might have led to an unusually long absence from public, a rare North Korean TV report said that he was suffering from “discomfort”, which was perceived as an implicit acknowledgment. that he was ill. In a pre-recorded documentary aired by state media, Kim appeared to have difficulty walking. Later, a senior North Korean official on a rare visit to South Korea denied that the country’s youth leader was ill, saying there was “no problem,” according to a South Korean official at the time.

secret death

death of Kim Jong UnKim Jong Il’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, was announced to have suffered a heart attack on 19 December 2011, when his death was reported by the official media on 17 December. According to North Korean state media at the time, his demise was marked. From the drop in temperature, grieving bears and magpies flocked.

dismiss report

In October 2008 state media said that reports about Kim Jong Il’s health were false, with US and South Korean officials saying he may have suffered a stroke several months earlier. A French doctor who treated Kim in Pyongyang told a French newspaper North Korean leader He had a stroke, but he was not operated on and he recovered. A year ago, Kim denied that he was in poor health, saying that reports showing signs of illness at the time were the work of “fiction writers”.

forbidden filming

Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, had a large and inactive tennis-ball-sized growth on the back of his neck, which meant that state media were forbidden from filming him from certain angles. Kim Il Sung ruled North Korea until his death in 1994.

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