North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un was last seen by the public when he presided over a meeting on April 11th, 2020, raising speculation over the 36 year-old leader's health. According to North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), during his latest meeting, Kim discussed Covid-19 coronavirus prevention and elected his sister, Kim Yo-jong, as an alternate member of the Workers' Party's political bureau.

Kim Jong-un has previously disappeared from media before, as in 2014, he vanished for over a month before reappearing with a limp. Questions about Kim Jong-un's health started after he missed the April 15th, commemoration of the 108th birthday of his late grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong-un had never missed the event. Speculations about the Supreme Leader's health was intensified by his heavy smoking, weight gain since inheriting power, and family history of cardiovascular disease.

According to some sources, Kim Jong-un reportedly underwent cardiovascular surgery and a Chinese team of medical experts were later dispatched to advise on the Supreme Leader after his health deteriorated. Meanwhile, other media posts suggested that the North Korean leader had passed. However, while North Korean state media has been silent on the condition of Kim Jong-un, South Korean officials rejected unconfirmed reports that Kim Jong-un was in serious condition following surgery, instead saying that Kim appeared to be normally engaged with state affairs, and is believed to be staying at an "unspecified location" outside of the capital city of Pyongyang. They also stated that there was no unusual or sudden reaction from the nation's military or cabinet, suggesting that Kim Jong-un had simply avoided appearing on media.

United States President Donald J. Trump also rejected the idea that Kim Jong-un was in serious condition, saying that "I think the report was incorrect" though he declined to answer when asked whether he had been in communication with North Korean officials or Kim Jong-un himself. The American President also stated "I hope he's okay".

Meanwhile, several other American officials including former US National Security Council director Danny Russel warned that rumors about Kim Jong-un have been circulating since he took power in 2011, though most have turned out to be false.

This post will be updated or a new post will be created once more information becomes available.

Note: The photograph of Kim Jong-un and the North Korea soldier/guard was retrieved from the US Department of State's Flickr account, which were initially published in October 2018. Meanwhile, other photos are from the public domain and do not require attribution or any other citations for any use, including commercial use.