World Waits to See If Kim Jong Un Graces Ruling Party Anniversary

North Korea will mark the 69 th year of the founding of the ruling Worker's Party on Friday and the world is waiting to see if Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un will grace the event with his presence.

Kim has been missing from the public eye for more than a month amid rumors of ill health. He was last seen at a music concert with his wife on Sept. 3.

Recently, a high flying North Korea delegation to South Korea had assured Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae Ryoo that their leader was well and there was nothing wrong with his health.

The sudden decision of the three-member covey of the inner circle to visit South Korea came as a big surprise considering the long stand-off between the two countries. The three officials conveyed that Pyongyang was willing to hold a second round of high-level meetings between late October and early November, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement. 

The leader's absence from all important public functions has led to rumors of him being grievously ill. He failed to attend an important parliamentary meeting two weeks ago and even missed an event to mark his late father's election as leader, reports the Associated Press

Kim Jong Un is a pervasive presence in the media. What has added to the speculations is his absence at  the lavish receptions given to athletes returning from the Asiad Games held in South Korea recently.  

Experts following North Korea's politics warn against making too much of his absence. They put it down to just tiredness.

Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, pointed out that Kim Jong's  name was mentioned in the report published by the North's official KCNA news agency on the parliamentary session.

The report said that three people were elected to the National Defence Commission (NDC) "at the proposal of Marshal Kim Jong-Un", reported Agence France Presse.

"Even if he's not in great shape, there appears to be little change in Kim's grip on power," Yang said.

But there is another point of view, which says that Kim might be just a figurehead and there are people behind the scenes ruling the country.

Remco Breuker, professor of Korean studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said to Agence France Presse that Kim's disappearance may signal a power shift within the North Korean elite.