Defector apologises over Kim’s death speculation
SEOUL: A former senior North Korean diplomat apologised yesterday after saying leader Kim Jong-un was likely so ill he could not stand, days before he emerged in state media chainsmoking and walking briskly at an event attended by hundreds of officials.
Mr Kim disappeared from state media for weeks, sparking a flurry of speculation about his health and whereabouts, and worry about prospects for the nuclear-armed state in the event of an unexpected succession.
But on Saturday, North Korean media published photographs of Mr Kim at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the inauguration of a fertiliser plant.
His re-emergence came as a blow to the credibility of some high-profile defectors from the North who had speculated that Mr Kim was suffering from a grave illness or could even be dead.
One of the defectors, Thae Yong-ho, was North Korea’s deputy ambassador to Britain, where he managed funds for
Mr Kim. Mr Thae fled to South Korea in 2016 and was elected to parliament last month.
“I am aware that one of the reasons why many of you voted for me as a lawmaker is with the expectations of an accurate analysis and projections on North Korean issues,” Mr Thae said. “I feel the blame and heavy responsibility.”
“Whatever the reasons, I apologise to everyone.”
The other prominent defector elected to parliament, Ji Seong-ho, had said in a media interview he was 99% certain that Mr Kim had died after cardiovascular surgery and an official announcement would come as soon as Saturday.
Mr Ji, who was invited to attend US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2018, could not be reached yesterday.
Mr Ji told Reuters on Friday he had received information about Mr Kim’s death from a source. He added he ran for office to bring attention to human rights abuse in the North.
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party criticised the pair for carelessness that it said could do more serious than just misinforming the public.
One party member said they should be excluded from the intelligence and defence committees.
Daily NK, a South Korean news outlet run by defectors, reported in April that Mr Kim was recovering from a cardiovascular procedure, sparking speculation about his health.