- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's physical condition is once again being questioned after he missed a holiday event last week.
- According to a CNN report citing a US source with knowledge of the incident, "the US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery." Business Insider could not independently confirm this.
- According to a blog that includes posts from North Korean defectors, Kim recently underwent a cardiovascular procedure on April 12.
- A South Korean government official said there was "nothing special" in terms of evidence to make the reported claim, according to a South Korean news outlet.
- A Chinese official dealing with North Korean affairs told Reuters that Kim is not believed to be critically ill.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's physical condition is once again being questioned following after he missed a holiday event last week.
According to a CNN report citing a US source with knowledge of the incident, "the US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery."
The US State Department did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider on Monday evening.
Kim, believed to be around 36 years old, was not seen on April 15, when the country celebrates a national holiday with extravagant parades for its founder Kim Il Sung. Rather than showing Kim's attendance as the regime traditionally does, no such announcement was made by the state-run propaganda outlets.
According to DailyNK, a blog that includes posts from North Korean defectors, Kim recently underwent a cardiovascular procedure on April 12. DailyNK claimed sources said the leader was recovering in a villa in the eastern part of the country. US officials did not immediately confirm the reporting.
Kim's last appearance was on April 11, through the country's state-run propaganda, CNN said.
A South Korean government official said there was "nothing special" in terms of evidence to make the reported claim, according to the South Korean news outlet Yonhap News. The official added that until recently, Kim "continued to conduct his public activities."
A Chinese official dealing with North Korean affairs also told Reuters that Kim is not believed to be critically ill.
Kim was previously reported missing for roughly six weeks in 2014; he then reemerged with a cane. At the time, South Korean officials said the leader had a cyst removed from an ankle. In a book by journalist Anna Fifield of The Washington Post, Kim's health was also questioned after South Korean doctors assessed he was "severely obese" at 5-foot 7-inches and roughly 300 pounds.
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