Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, right, and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha participate in a session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said, Tuesday, that there were no unusual signs regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health amid swirling rumors that he had fallen ill or even died after undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

In addition, the minister said Kim's disappearance from the public eye is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the government has knowledge of his current state and whereabouts.

Kim has been out of the public eye since April 11, when he presided over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party. He skipped an annual visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, April 15, marking the 108th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung, raising the speculation over his health.

"The government's official position is that there is no unusual activity related to Kim's health in the North. We can say this with confidence," the minister told lawmakers of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

Kim missed the key ceremony as part of the North's quarantine measures against the coronavirus, the minister added.

"Although Kim did not participate in the anniversary ceremony, for the first time since he took the reins (in 2011), relevant events were also canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and visits to the palace were scaled down."

As to Kim's "disappearance" for over two weeks, the minister said this was not unusual, compared to the past.

"Earlier this year, the North Korean leader stayed out of public sight for 21 days at one time and 19 days at another time. At this point, we do not see it as unusual," he said.

Kim Jong-un, a liability 2020-04-28 16:31
Asked if the North Korean leader is in Pyongyang, the minister said the government knows his whereabouts, but declined to reveal more, citing classified information.

Regarding the barrage of unconfirmed reports about Kim's health, the minister said it was unfortunate to see an "infodemic" that had produced fake news. He said he could not logically accept a South Korean online news outlet's report that Kim underwent a medical procedure at Hyangsan Medical Center by doctors from Pyongyang's Kim Man Yu Hospital and was staying at a vacation home in Wonsan.

"I've never heard of Kim heading to Hyangsan, and the medical center there is like a public health center which is not suitable for surgery," he said.

The minister also said the North Korean media outlets have produced reports suggesting their leader is carrying out state affairs normally.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who was also present at the parliamentary session, also downplayed the rumors.

"Despite a series of recent media reports, no unusual signs have been detected inside North Korea," she said. "We are closely monitoring trends related to North Korea's external policy, given the recent reshuffle of its diplomatic lineup that came on the occasion of the Supreme People's Assembly meeting."

Their remarks were the latest by the South Korean government dismissing speculation that Kim may be gravely ill.

In order to get stalled inter-Korean relations back on track, the unification minister unveiled his ministry's plan to reboot the Korean Peninsula peace process.

"The ministry will put forth multilateral efforts to improve inter-Korean ties, while maintaining momentum for the denuclearization of the peninsula," he said.

"In particular, we will push for cross-border healthcare cooperation amid the coronavirus pandemic."

Meanwhile, the North released a YouTube video refuting foreign media reports on panic buying in Pyongyang due to speculation over its leader's poor health.

The video, titled "True or False (Panic buying)," shows a North Korean woman visiting a department store in the capital and checking if anything was out of stock.

"I think fake news is the last thing we need in the time of such a fierce battle with COVID-19; and it is another reason why we should keep vigilant," she says.