North Korean state media shows Kim Jong Un at meeting after 'comatose' claims

North Korean state media showed Kim Jong Un attending a top committee meeting on August 26, putting an end to wild speculations around his health condition. A South Korea diplomat had claimed that Kim has delegated the responsibilities of managing relations with Seoul and Washington to her sister Kim Yo-jong, making her de facto second in command.

The assertion led to another wave of speculations, wondering whether Kim’s decision was taken in the view of a possible deteriorating health condition. Chang Song-min, a former aide of South Korea’s late president Kim Dae-Jung, said that the North Korean leader wouldn't pass on authority to another person unless he is in a coma to rule or ousted in a coup.

However, state-run KCNA reported that Kim was present at the Polit Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the WPK. North’s Supreme Leader discussed the emergency measures required to prevent damage due to a strong typhoon expected to affect several parts of the country between August 26 and 27, reported the state media.

Read: Kim Jong-un In Coma, Claims S Korean Diplomat After His Sister Becomes Second In Command

Read: North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un Transfers Some Authority To Sister, Kim Yo Jong

Past claims

After a Politburo meeting on April 11, Kim missed key events that paved the way for speculations around his medical condition. The North Korean legislature held its third session on April 12 in the absence of its Supreme Leader. US media had reported that Kim contracted COVID-19 from a Chinese doctor who had flown in help him with a cardiovascular procedure.

On May 2, the state-controlled KNCA published pictures of North Korea's Supreme Leader attending an event at a fertilizer factory in South Pyongyang. After demands of video footage, the North Korean media released a video clip of the event, where Kim can be seen in attendance. Pictures and videos show that the event was attended by several top party leaders including his sister Kim Yo Jang.

Some high-profile defectors who had speculated grave illness and even the death of Kim Jong Un suffered a huge blow to their credibility. Former North’s envoy to Britain Thae Yong-ho, who had fled to South Korea in 2016 and was elected to the parliament in April, apologised for his inaccurate analysis of the situation.

Read: Kim Jong Un To Convene Crucial WPK Meeting For The First Time In 8 Months

Read: Kim Jong Un Sees Relationship With Trump As ‘fantasy Film’, Say ‘Rage’ Publishers

(Image: AP)