[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un resumed public activities after 20 days, disproving rumors of 'Kim Jong-un's death' and 'health issues.'
According to Korean Central Broadcasting on the 2nd, Chairman Kim attended the completion ceremony of the Suncheon Fertilizer Plant on the previous day, which was Labor Day (May 1). The broadcast reported that Kim Yo-jong, the first deputy director of the Workers' Party and Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Jae-ryong, Premier of the Cabinet, Park Bong-ju, Kim Duk-hoon, Park Tae-sung, deputy directors of the Party, and Jo Yong-won, first deputy director of the Party, also attended the ceremony.
The Suncheon Fertilizer Plant was the first local guidance site Kim visited this year on January 7 (based on the report date). At that time, after paying respects at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun as his first schedule of the new year, Kim visited the Suncheon Fertilizer Plant five days later, demonstrating his determination to overcome prolonged sanctions in the economic sector on his own.
This is the first time Chairman Kim has appeared publicly since presiding over a Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting at the Party Central Committee headquarters in Pyongyang on the 11th of last month. While Kim was out of sight, rumors of his death and health problems continued unabated.
Human rights activist and future Korea Party proportional representative-elect Ji Sung-ho, a defector, raised the rumor of Kim Jong-un's death. He also claimed that Kim Yo-jong, Kim's younger sister, was a strong candidate as his successor.
In a phone interview with a media outlet on the 30th of last month, Representative-elect Ji said, "It appears that Chairman Kim Jong-un has died. I am 99% sure." He added, "I understand he underwent cardiovascular surgery. I believe he died from shock caused by the surgery." He further explained, "After the surgery, he was unable to regain consciousness or govern, and I understand that preparations for confusion have emerged within the Party." He stated that his information source was an internal informant.
Taegumin (Tae Yong-ho), elected in the Gangnam-eul district in this general election, also said in an interview with the U.S. media CNN on the 27th, "I do not know what kind of surgery he underwent, but one thing is clear: he cannot stand alone or walk properly."
On the other hand, the military and intelligence authorities have repeatedly stated that there are "no unusual developments" regarding Chairman Kim's whereabouts.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo explained at the National Assembly Defense Committee plenary session on the 29th regarding Kim Jong-un's whereabouts, "Last year, the longest period he did not appear was 27 days," adding, "There were about five times last year when he did not appear for a long period, and this year there were about three times when he did not appear for more than 15 days."
Meanwhile, efforts to monitor North Korean developments amid rumors of Chairman Kim's 'health issues' have been steadily ongoing.
According to the civilian aviation tracking site 'Aircraft Spot' on the 1st, the U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft RC-135W (Rivet Joint) flew over Gwangju, Sudowon, and Incheon skies in Gyeonggi Province that day. The RC-135W, the U.S. Air Force's main communications interception reconnaissance aircraft, is equipped with devices that detect signals emitted from ground remote telemetry equipment before missile launches and analyze warhead trajectories.
Since late last month, around the time reports of Chairman Kim's health issues surfaced, U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft such as the RC-135W, E-8C, and Combat Sent (RC-135U), U.S. Forces Korea's Guardrail (RC-12X), and U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft (P-3C) have been repeatedly deployed over the Korean Peninsula skies almost daily.
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