North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a public appearance on
Chatter inspired by Kim Jong-un's sudden disappearance reached a fever pitch on
The image of Kim above was not authentic, but the North Korean leader remained missing and interest in his whereabouts escalated. On
The New York Times reported:
The photos showed Mr. Kim looking around brand-new eight-story apartment buildings and top military generals and party secretaries taking notes while he spoke — a scene typical of such a visit by the top leader.
North Korea's main party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, dedicated the front page of its Tuesday edition to
Images of Kim circulated and video from North Korean media aired globally:
The Guardian quoted an expert on North Korean relations on why the regime might take pains to conceal a possible illness or injury:
John Delury, a North Korea analyst at Yonsei University in Seoul, said last week there was evidence that Kim was in poor health, which the ruling party did not want to reveal to protect the leader's image. "When the leader is somehow physically incapacitated, they can't show him off as they like to," he said. "The regime is incredibly image-conscious. It choreographs everything, especially when it comes to the leader. Kim is a young guy, and you don't want to see a young guy in that condition."
Kim Jong-un's prolonged absence led to suspicions of a coup in North Korea but Delury believes such a large-scale shift would be impossible to conceal, even in the notoriously secretive state.
Last updated: 14 October 2014