Kim Jong Un Reappears

Putting an end to a flurry of rumors, North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un visited a housing project as well as a science academy, state-run media reported Tuesday.

This is the 31-year-old leader's first appearance in public since he attended a concert on Sept. 3. His absence fueled speculation and rumors ranging from a leadership coup to a serious medical condition.

The front page of the nation's main newspaper - Rodong Sinmun - had a picture of Jong Un laughing and walking with a cane while in conversation with the officials, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Rodong Sinmum is the official newspaper of North Korea that is run by the ruling Workers' Party. The picture was taken when Jong Un visited the residential district in the capital of Pyongyang, where his government just finished building a cluster of homes for satellite engineers, to provide "field guidance".

One of the officials  in the picture was Hwang Pyong So, one of the three high-ranking officials who recently visited South Korea to attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games, and also hold meetings with South Korean authorities.

Even though the report did not mention as to when the picture was taken, it stated that Jong Un had been briefed on the complex and he had "said they looked very attractive, presenting fantastic scenery."

 Before this, the state-run media had not mentioned the dictator's appearance in the public for more than a month. Many speculated that he might have lost out in a power struggle inside the secretive country's opaque government, The New York Times reports.

Last week, Reuters had released a report stating that Jong Un had hurt his leg after joining a military exercise and treatment was in progress.