Kim Jong Un Still "Missing"; Absent from Party's 69th Anniversary
Fuelling speculations, North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un continued to maintain his "missing" status by not attending the ruling party's 69th anniversary Friday in Pyongyang.
Jong Un has not been seen in public for more than a month. His unexplained absence from the public eye has led to a cycle of rumor ranging from a coup to possible illnesses and ailments including broken ankle, gout and diabetes, The Telegraph reports.
This is the longest break that Jong Un, who was last seen on Sept. 3, has taken since he came to power in 2011.
According to BBC, North Korea's state television last month had said that the leader had an "uncomfortable physical condition" and had later showed him limping.
Given Jong Un's reported affinity toward rich foods and alcohol, gout seems to be a probable reason. However, an unnamed source told Reuters Friday that the dictator had hurt his leg and required 100 days to recover. The source also informed that despite his absence from the public eye, he remained in full control, USA Today reports.
The source further added that Jong Un injured himself when he joined generals he had ordered to perform physical drills. The state-run television of North Korea often shows footage of the leader providing "on-the-spot guidance" to people at farms, factories, schools and apparently in all other aspects of North Korean life.
Meanwhile, South Korea also said Friday that it believed Jong Un was still in control of the reclusive and impenetrable nation.
"It seems that Kim Jong Un's rule is in normal operation," said Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol, Yonhap news agency reports.
