North Korean state media published photographs showing Kim Jong Un touring an exhibition with his daughter, hours after an online claim that he had died of a brain hemorrhage.1,2,3,4
The photographs were published by Rodong Sinmun, the state newspaper, which said they showed the 42-year-old leader visiting a clothing and footwear exhibition. Kim is seen examining displays alongside his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, and his usual entourage of officials. The images appeared shortly after rumors of his death began circulating.3
The claim originated with Wanjun Xie, a Chinese dissident who lives in the United States and identifies himself as chairman of the Chinese Democratic Party, a group banned by Chinese authorities. Xie alleged, without providing evidence, that Kim had suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and had been taken to a hospital in Beijing in a coma because North Korea lacked the medical facilities to treat him. He further claimed that Kim had died, that his body had been secretly returned to North Korea and that the government was concealing the death.3,2
The BBC noted that Xie has previously circulated unverified claims, including speculation about the death of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The BBC's China correspondent, Laura Bicker, wrote that the photographs cast doubt on the claim, although there is no way to know exactly when they were taken.3
Bicker wrote that a sudden collapse in Kim's health would likely produce visible signs beyond North Korea's borders. China could tighten security along its frontier, activity around North Korean diplomatic missions might increase, and defectors in South Korea often receive information through informal networks along the Chinese border. She wrote that none of this had happened. South Korean intelligence officials told Yonhap news agency that they had heard nothing to support the reports.3
The BBC also pointed to an earlier episode. In 2020, a high-profile North Korean defector said he was "99% certain" that Kim had died following cardiovascular surgery. Kim later appeared in public, and the claim unraveled.3
Kim has led North Korea since succeeding his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011, and the BBC wrote that the transition was faster and more precarious than the handover from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke in 2008, after which his youngest son was rapidly promoted, and Kim Jong Un spent years consolidating power and purging rivals.3
South Korea's intelligence agency believes Kim may be preparing his daughter as a successor, the BBC reported. She has increasingly appeared at high-profile events and military displays, but she is thought to be about 13 years old and has not been formally designated as heir. North Korea has never been led by a woman.3
The BBC wrote that the health rumors are not entirely implausible. Kim is overweight and a heavy smoker, and South Korea's National Intelligence Service has repeatedly warned that his lifestyle raises his risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart problems and strokes also run in the Kim family.3
The BBC said a sudden leadership crisis would raise questions about control of North Korea's nuclear weapons, the risk of political instability and the possibility of a refugee crisis along the Chinese border. It noted that Washington maintains around 28,000 troops in South Korea. The BBC also wrote that the regime is suspected of deliberately leaking misleading information, which makes reliable information hard to obtain.3
The BBC wrote that it was hard to believe Xie had uncovered significant news that intelligence agencies had missed. It said he may have been seeking attention, or may have wanted to embarrass Beijing by highlighting its ties to Pyongyang, though those ties are widely known.3
The reports did not include comment from North Korean or Chinese government officials on the death claim or the photographs. It remains unknown when the images were taken, and the BBC noted that the claim about Kim's death has not been confirmed by any source it cited.3,2,4