Published 06:43 IST, May 3rd 2020
Donald Trump issues first response as Kim Jong-un re-appears amid death rumours
As North Korean's Kim Jong-un re-appeared on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said he was "glad" about it and that the North Korean leader is healthy
- World News
- 2 min read
As North Korean's Kim Jong-un re-appeared on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said he was "glad" about it and that the North Korean leader is apparently healthy.
"I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!" Trump tweeted, following Kim's first public appearance in nearly three weeks after intense speculation that he was seriously ill or possibly dead.
Kim re-appears
Quashing reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's death, country's state media said that he attended an event at a fertilizer factory on May 1 in South Pyongan and released pictures. This was his first appearance in public in the last 20 days.
Reportedly, Kim Jong-un has undergone bypass surgery. Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, had reported that Kim recently underwent heart surgery and continued to recuperate from the procedure at a villa outside of Pyongyang. The hospital is located near Mount Myohyang, in North Pyongan Province, and is exclusively for the use of the Kim family, the report added.
Rumours about Kim Jong-un's death
However, since the Supreme leader missed the birthday celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15 and was last seen on April 12, strong speculations were made about him being dead. While sources from China told an international news agency that he was not 'believed to be critically ill', US president Donald Trump had said that he has “very good idea" about Kim's health but couldn't talk about it and wished him well. “I do know how he’s doing, relatively speaking. You’ll probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future," Trump had said at the White House.
Updated 14:03 IST, May 3rd 2020