First sighting of Kim in 20 days
Long absence had fuelled speculation of North Korean leader’s death
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a fertiliser factory near Pyongyang, state media said yesterday, ending an absence that had triggered global rumours he may be seriously ill.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended the ceremony on Friday in Sunchon with other senior officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.
The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published several photos of Kim wearing black and smiling as he looked around the factory and cut a red ribbon. Seemingly thousands of workers, many of them masked, stood in lines at the massive complex, releasing balloons into the air.
The images gave no clear sign that Kim was in discomfort. However, one of the photos at the factory showed a green electric cart, which appeared similar to a vehicle he used after presumed ankle surgery in 2014.
It was Kim’s first public appearance since April 11.
Speculation about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 birthday celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s most important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbours and ally Washington, must begin preparing for the possible chaos that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. Worstcase scenarios include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China, or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons.
“The world is largely unprepared for instability in North Korea,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Washington, Seoul and Tokyo need tighter coordination on contingency plans while international organisations need more resources and less controversy over the role of China.”
Kim entered 2020 vowing to build up his nuclear stockpile and defeat sanctions through economic “selfreliance”. Some experts say the North’s self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis could potentially hamper his ability to mobilise people for labour.
The KCNA said workers at the fertiliser factory broke into “thunderous cheers” for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile forces”.
The report didn’t mention any direct comment toward Washington or Seoul.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to comment about Kim’s reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the appropriate time”.
State media reported Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa, and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
South Korea’s government repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
The office of President Moon Jaein said it detected no unusual signs in North Korea or any emergency reaction by its ruling party, military and cabinet. Seoul said it believed Kim was still managing state affairs but staying at an unspecified location outside Pyongyang.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused Kim’s absence in past weeks.
In 2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
The world is largely unprepared for instability in North Korea.
Professor Leif-Eric Easley