Kim Jong-un [김정은], is a politician who has led North Korea for the past nine years. He is currently thirty-six years old, and although he is the youngest of his brothers, he became the successor of his father, Kim Il Sung, after his death in 2011. In his early years of power, Kim worked to advance nuclear weapons, remove family members that stood in his way and cut ties with some of his father’s allies. Continuing his grandfather’s communist ideas from decades before, Kim kept complete control over his people by limiting their travel, internet access, and anything he thought may threaten his socialist practices.
Kim met face to face with Donald Trump for the first time in history on June 12, 2018. There Kim vowed to work to denuclearize his land, and Trump promised to discontinue current practices with South Korea.
Over the past few weeks, there has been speculation that North Korea’s leader was in critical condition. Some mainstream media claimed that Kim had died, while others said he was not responsive and in serious condition.
The rumors sparked from Daily NK, a South Korean website that monitors issues in North Korea. On April 20, Daily NK had reported that Kim had a “cardiovascular procedure,” but was recovering and stable. Though the story gave little detail, it was reported that Kim had not been seen in public for over a week and never came to the annual “Day of the Sun” ceremony that celebrated his grandfather’s birthday and legacy. Rumors grew when CNN announced the following day that Kim’s surgery had put him in “grave danger”. Gossip spread like wildfire as more news from TMZ, MSNBC, and other news sites announced that Kim was “dead” or “in a coma”.
Shortly after all the news spread, #KIMJONGUNDEAD trended number one worldwide on Twitter, drawing more attention to the rumors. At this point news sources even began discussing who would succeed Kim and become North Korea’s new leader.
During a briefing on April 23, Trump announced that the speculation from the media on Kim’s condition was “incorrect” and that he was aware of Kim’s health but could not publicly share his knowledge.
Rumors were shut down when North Korea released a picture of Kim at the grand opening of a fertilizer factory, proving that he clearly was not dead or in any sort of critical condition.
Government experts on North Korea noted that this rumor should be a lesson for Americans to learn. Rumors like this should not be blindly trusted, and it is important to verify what they hear. Especially during these difficult times, while North Korea is even more closed off and secretive than usual. It is essential to be on guard about information circling around the media.
