[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Park Hee-eun] Jiseongho and Taegumin (Taeyoungho), elected members of the National Assembly who are defectors and had raised rumors about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's health issues and death, expressed differing views. Representative Ji said it is still too early to jump to conclusions, while Representative Tae raised new questions.
Jiseongho, a proportional representative of the Future Korea Party, said in a phone interview with a media outlet today (2nd), "When I said I was 99% certain of Kim Jong-un's death, it was based on my own understanding," adding, "It was not a statement made solely on circumstantial evidence."
Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Representative Ji claimed, "I am 99% certain of Chairman Kim's death," and stated, "I understand he died in a state of shock due to surgery." At that time, he mentioned that the source of the information was an internal informant.
On the 16th of last month, Tae Gumin (Tae Youngho), a candidate from the United Future Party running in Gangnam-gap, Seoul, is shedding tears after his victory was confirmed at the Gangnam District campaign office. Photo by Yonhap News
Taegumin, a defector and former North Korean diplomat to the UK, who was elected from the United Future Party, also agreed with the rumors about Kim's health issues.
In an interview with CNN on the 28th of last month local time, he claimed, "Chairman Kim is unable to stand or walk properly on his own."
After Kim publicly resumed activities, Representative Tae stated today (2nd) on Facebook, "The analysis suggesting that Kim Jong-un would be in a condition where he finds it difficult to move on his own appears to have been somewhat off the mark."
He explained, "I have consistently emphasized that the personal status of North Korea's supreme leader is a top secret matter that even the highest-ranking officials such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot know precisely, so there are significant limitations in accurately diagnosing the situation from outside."
Nevertheless, he left the question, "Was there really no problem with Kim Jong-un's health over the past 20 days?"
Representative Tae emphasized, "This curiosity arises from the vehicle that appeared behind Kim Jong-un in the photos publicly released by North Korea today."
He argued, "When I saw the vehicle that Chairman Kim Jong-il used during local guidance visits reappear after he survived a stroke in 2008 and had difficulty walking even short distances, my doubts were not completely erased."
However, Representative Tae said, "Through this incident, I am determined to devote more effort to research and analysis on North Korea," and added, "My view remains unchanged that various opinions and analyses should be exchanged and free discussions should take place regarding issues such as Kim Jong-un's personal status and North Korean matters in the future."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
