Kim Jong Un dead?
- Thread starter Ellipse
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Until there's something from non-Western outlets who report their rumors from "sources", nothing is confirmed.
FWIW, the Korean Herald is reporting that Kim has not been seen publicly since April 11th and that Reuters says that China has dispatched a team of doctors and officials to North Korea. Nothing about him being dead yet....
NK leader still out of public eye, Pyongyang’s media focus on army anniversary
NK leader still out of public eye, Pyongyang’s media focus on army anniversary
angelburst29
The Living Force
A special train possibly belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was spotted this week at a resort town in the country, according to satellite images reviewed by a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, amid conflicting reports about Kim's health and whereabouts.
Train possibly belonging to North Korean leader spotted in resort town: think tank
The monitoring project, 38 North, said in its report on Saturday that the train was parked at the “leadership station” in Wonsan on April 21 and April 23. The station is reserved for the use of the Kim family, it said.
“The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” the report said.
Train possibly belonging to North Korean leader spotted in resort town: think tank
The monitoring project, 38 North, said in its report on Saturday that the train was parked at the “leadership station” in Wonsan on April 21 and April 23. The station is reserved for the use of the Kim family, it said.
“The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” the report said.
North Korea’s Kim sends letter to construction workers amid reports his TRAIN spotted at coastal resort
North Korea’s Kim sends letter to construction workers amid reports his TRAIN spotted at coastal resort
26 Apr, 2020 02:29 / Updated 11 minutes ago
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FILE PHOTO © Global Look Press / Xinhua
Rumours about North Korea’s leader's whereabouts and health have been the talk of the town - but Kim Jong-un seems to be having none of that, praising workers of the major construction project, that is according to state media.
As the world watches the unravelling of the drama starring the North Korean leader with bated breath, with conflicting reports fuelling speculations of either his demise or a serious health condition - Kim was reported by state Rodong Sinmun newspaper to have sent greetings to the staff working on the construction of Samjiyon city, one of the most ambitious development projects underway in the reclusive nation.
ALSO ON RT.COM#KIMJONGUNDEAD is a rumor, but political jokes at North Korean leader’s expense are already here
The publication reported Sunday that Kim “sent thanks” to workers involved in the rebuilding of what was touted as an “ideal socialist village” by the North Korean leader himself. The town, which is reported to be the birthplace of Kim’s late father and country’s former ruler - Kim Jong-il - was supposed to undergo a near-complete makeover, being transformed into a model city with new railway stations, power and telecommunications infrastructure and hundreds of brand new buildings added.
The project is located at the foot of Mount Paektu - the country’s “sacred mountain” - which Kim has frequented in recent years. In early December, the North Korean leader officially inaugurated the renovated city in a lavish ceremony.
Report of Kim’s sending greetings to the workers, as well as of his official communication with foreign leaders did little to quash the rumours of him supposedly lying on his deathbed - even though the speculations of his ill health have been since played down by China and South Korea, as well as by US President Donlad Trump, who rubbished CNN source-based reporting as "fake news."
Unsurprisingly, a fresh report that a train which “probably” belongs to Kim appeared to be parked at a coastal resort where the North Korean leader was reported to be recuperating after a “cardiovascular procedure'' has added flames to the fire.
See matiere*'s other Tweets
The report by North Korea research group 38 North cited satellite imagery, suggesting that the train has been at the railway station at the city of Wonsan at least since April 21. Although the publication itself admitted that this fact gives little clues about Kim’s health condition, mainstream media pundits wasted no time in trying to read into the imagery.
“This doesn't prove or disprove anything about his health. But for context, Kim usually prefers to fly to Wonsan. A train is a far more formal/solemn way to travel,”CNN’s Will Ripley said.
The swirling speculations about Kim’s health are aided by Pyongyang’s customary silence on the matter, which has yet to refute the reports.
North Korea’s Kim sends letter to construction workers amid reports his TRAIN spotted at coastal resort
26 Apr, 2020 02:29 / Updated 11 minutes ago
Get short URL
FILE PHOTO © Global Look Press / Xinhua
Rumours about North Korea’s leader's whereabouts and health have been the talk of the town - but Kim Jong-un seems to be having none of that, praising workers of the major construction project, that is according to state media.
As the world watches the unravelling of the drama starring the North Korean leader with bated breath, with conflicting reports fuelling speculations of either his demise or a serious health condition - Kim was reported by state Rodong Sinmun newspaper to have sent greetings to the staff working on the construction of Samjiyon city, one of the most ambitious development projects underway in the reclusive nation.
ALSO ON RT.COM#KIMJONGUNDEAD is a rumor, but political jokes at North Korean leader’s expense are already here
The publication reported Sunday that Kim “sent thanks” to workers involved in the rebuilding of what was touted as an “ideal socialist village” by the North Korean leader himself. The town, which is reported to be the birthplace of Kim’s late father and country’s former ruler - Kim Jong-il - was supposed to undergo a near-complete makeover, being transformed into a model city with new railway stations, power and telecommunications infrastructure and hundreds of brand new buildings added.
The project is located at the foot of Mount Paektu - the country’s “sacred mountain” - which Kim has frequented in recent years. In early December, the North Korean leader officially inaugurated the renovated city in a lavish ceremony.
Report of Kim’s sending greetings to the workers, as well as of his official communication with foreign leaders did little to quash the rumours of him supposedly lying on his deathbed - even though the speculations of his ill health have been since played down by China and South Korea, as well as by US President Donlad Trump, who rubbished CNN source-based reporting as "fake news."
Unsurprisingly, a fresh report that a train which “probably” belongs to Kim appeared to be parked at a coastal resort where the North Korean leader was reported to be recuperating after a “cardiovascular procedure'' has added flames to the fire.
matiere*@matiere
https://twitter.com/matiere/status/1254214323695570944
Train Spotted at Kim Jong Un’s Wonsan Compound | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea https://www.38north.org/2020/04/wonsancompound042520/ …
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7:02 PM - Apr 25, 2020
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See matiere*'s other Tweets
The report by North Korea research group 38 North cited satellite imagery, suggesting that the train has been at the railway station at the city of Wonsan at least since April 21. Although the publication itself admitted that this fact gives little clues about Kim’s health condition, mainstream media pundits wasted no time in trying to read into the imagery.
“This doesn't prove or disprove anything about his health. But for context, Kim usually prefers to fly to Wonsan. A train is a far more formal/solemn way to travel,”CNN’s Will Ripley said.
Will Ripley
✔@willripleyCNN
https://twitter.com/willripleyCNN/status/1254168213807652864
#breaking Satellite images show what is likely North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's train at his compound in Wonsan. This doesn't prove or disprove anything about his health. But for context, Kim usually prefers to fly to Wonsan. A train is a far more formal/solemn way to travel.
3:59 PM - Apr 25, 2020
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The swirling speculations about Kim’s health are aided by Pyongyang’s customary silence on the matter, which has yet to refute the reports.
This, reminds me of the conspiracy surrounding Yasser Arafat. Several decades ago. Is this reality, I don't know, several years ago, there was a video circulating about some sort of CIA gun that could produce a coronary or cardiovascular event. Seems to me with all the technology we have now, what was then considered high tech, is child's play, what with lasers and such.
This could change the balance of power in the region, for those with nefarious interests. Eurasia comes to mind namely China and Russia
This could change the balance of power in the region, for those with nefarious interests. Eurasia comes to mind namely China and Russia
Well, he didn't have heart surgery, but a stent procedure which apparently went wrong. The stent was either placed as an elective procedure or as treatment for an acute event such as a heart attack. If something went really wrong with the stent, a heart surgery team in situ was needed to fix the mishap, usually done immediately.
If heart surgery was done, it can take him months to recover. If there was no heart surgery available in situ when the problem happened, he might have died. No one has confirmed his death though.
Young people who have an acute compromise of their heart arteries take it very badly because they didn't have decades to develop collateral arteries which bypass obstructions. This is why there are so many sudden deaths and massive heart attacks among the young population.
If heart surgery was done, it can take him months to recover. If there was no heart surgery available in situ when the problem happened, he might have died. No one has confirmed his death though.
Young people who have an acute compromise of their heart arteries take it very badly because they didn't have decades to develop collateral arteries which bypass obstructions. This is why there are so many sudden deaths and massive heart attacks among the young population.
"China on Friday sent a team of experts, including several medical professionals, to North Korea to provide guidance on the health condition of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un." Source: TWP.
Apparently this is this delegation that indirectly leaked the news of the death of the "supreme leader". The head of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television, who is close to a Chinese minister, announced that the North Korean had died. She posted a video on the Chinese social network Weibo, quoting a "very solid source".
This person would be the niece of the Chinese minister.
Of course the whole can be faked.
angelburst29
The Living Force
North Korea has never announced who would follow leader Kim Jong Un in the event he is incapacitated, and with no details known about his young children, analysts say his sister and loyalists could form a regency until a successor is old enough to take over.
Heir unapparent: If North Korea faces succession, who might replace Kim?
South Korean and Chinese officials have publicly cast doubt on reports that Kim was gravely ill following a cardiovascular procedure, after his absence from a key state anniversary event on April 15 triggered speculation about his health.
The following are key figures in the North Korean leadership circle and what role they may play in any transition.
KIM YO JONG - Kim's younger sister has been the most visible presence around the leader in the past two years, serving formally as a vice director of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Committee but unofficially as her brother's chief of staff.
Kim Yo Jong was named an alternate member of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Committee Politburo this month, continuing her climb through the leadership hierarchy. The leader's sister, believed to be 31, has a firm control of key party functions, setting herself to be the main source of power behind a collective leadership.
"Kim Yo Jong will be for the time being the main power base with control of the organization and guidance department, the judiciary and public security," said Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-funded think-tank in Seoul.
PARTY ELDERS - Choe Ryong Hae rose to be North Korea's nominal head of state last year as president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. This capped decades of service with the party for the ruling Kim family, following his role as the influential political head of the military under the young leader.
Choe and Pak Pong Ju, a fellow politburo member and former state premier who oversaw the North's push to introduce more free-market functions to revive its economy, are likely to be the figureheads leading a collective leadership, analysts say.
Kim Yong Chol, a party vice chairman and former top nuclear envoy not related to the Kim dynasty, and Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon could be tasked with handling diplomatic issues, including stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States, as they played a key role in Kim Jong Un's summits with U.S. President Donald Trump.
ESTRANGED BROTHERS, AUNT - Kim Jong Chol is the leader's older brother but has not been part of the country's leadership, instead leading a quiet life playing music, according to Thae Yong Ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador in London, who defected to the South. He is believed to be disinterested in public life and is unlikely to emerge as a major presence, though some analysts say he maintains ties with siblings and could play a more public role in a contingency.
Kim Kyong Hui was once a powerful figure in the leadership circle when her brother Kim Jong Il ruled the country. But she has not been seen since her husband, Jang Song Thaek, once regarded as the second most powerful man in the country, was executed in 2013 by Kim Jong Un. She has long been ill but briefly appeared early this year at a gala performance alongside her nephew.
FOURTH GENERATION - Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children with Ri Sol Ju, the youngest born in 2017, according to the South's National Intelligence Service. The oldest is a 10-year-old son, meaning any of the three would need the assistance of their relatives or political guardians if they were to become a fourth-generation hereditary leader.
Kim Jong Il had been groomed for 20 years to lead the country, while Kim Jong Un had just over a year to prepare, due to his father's sudden death from a heart attack.
Heir unapparent: If North Korea faces succession, who might replace Kim?
South Korean and Chinese officials have publicly cast doubt on reports that Kim was gravely ill following a cardiovascular procedure, after his absence from a key state anniversary event on April 15 triggered speculation about his health.
The following are key figures in the North Korean leadership circle and what role they may play in any transition.
KIM YO JONG - Kim's younger sister has been the most visible presence around the leader in the past two years, serving formally as a vice director of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Committee but unofficially as her brother's chief of staff.
Kim Yo Jong was named an alternate member of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Committee Politburo this month, continuing her climb through the leadership hierarchy. The leader's sister, believed to be 31, has a firm control of key party functions, setting herself to be the main source of power behind a collective leadership.
"Kim Yo Jong will be for the time being the main power base with control of the organization and guidance department, the judiciary and public security," said Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-funded think-tank in Seoul.
PARTY ELDERS - Choe Ryong Hae rose to be North Korea's nominal head of state last year as president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. This capped decades of service with the party for the ruling Kim family, following his role as the influential political head of the military under the young leader.
Choe and Pak Pong Ju, a fellow politburo member and former state premier who oversaw the North's push to introduce more free-market functions to revive its economy, are likely to be the figureheads leading a collective leadership, analysts say.
Kim Yong Chol, a party vice chairman and former top nuclear envoy not related to the Kim dynasty, and Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon could be tasked with handling diplomatic issues, including stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States, as they played a key role in Kim Jong Un's summits with U.S. President Donald Trump.
ESTRANGED BROTHERS, AUNT - Kim Jong Chol is the leader's older brother but has not been part of the country's leadership, instead leading a quiet life playing music, according to Thae Yong Ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador in London, who defected to the South. He is believed to be disinterested in public life and is unlikely to emerge as a major presence, though some analysts say he maintains ties with siblings and could play a more public role in a contingency.
Kim Kyong Hui was once a powerful figure in the leadership circle when her brother Kim Jong Il ruled the country. But she has not been seen since her husband, Jang Song Thaek, once regarded as the second most powerful man in the country, was executed in 2013 by Kim Jong Un. She has long been ill but briefly appeared early this year at a gala performance alongside her nephew.
FOURTH GENERATION - Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children with Ri Sol Ju, the youngest born in 2017, according to the South's National Intelligence Service. The oldest is a 10-year-old son, meaning any of the three would need the assistance of their relatives or political guardians if they were to become a fourth-generation hereditary leader.
Kim Jong Il had been groomed for 20 years to lead the country, while Kim Jong Un had just over a year to prepare, due to his father's sudden death from a heart attack.
