North Korean leader Kim Jong Un missed an important national celebration Friday, stoking speculation the dictator has fallen ill or been deposed by a coup after he disappeared from public view more than a month ago.
Kim did not appear at the founding anniversary of North Koreaâs ruling Workersâ Party on Friday, according to an attendance list released by the state news agency. Unofficial reports tell the Associated Press that Kim remains in charge of North Korea and is laid up with a leg injury. Still, itâs the first time heâs missed the Workerâs Party anniversary since he came to power in 2011, and some are suggesting his absence could indicate trouble within the countryâs power structure.
Kim Jong Un last appeared on North Korean television Sept. 3, when he attended a concert with his wife. He was recently filmed walking with a limp and looking heavier than usual, but North Koreaâs propagandistic news agency has not shown the leader since.
University of British Columbia professor Hyung-Gu Lynn says Kim Jong Un sent flowers to the anniversary in lieu of his absence on Friday.
âTodayâs newspapers in North Korea were filled with laudatory references to him,â added Lynn, a professor at UBCâs Institute of Asian Research.
Lynn says Kimâs absence was likely due to an ankle injury.
âThe best explanation is that Kim Jong Un has a health problem, and that his recovery process has been slower than anyone inside the country has anticipated,â he told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Friday.
Sources from inside the secretive, tightly-controlled country have downplayed Kimâs absence, describing his apparent leg injury to AP as a âdiscomfortâ that needs time to heal. Kim allegedly pulled a tendon while participating in military drills with the North Korean army, and aggravated the injury by trying to walk with it.
âBy all indications, heâs alive and in control of the country, but just not in the greatest of health,â Lynn said.
North Koreaâs neighbours to the south also appear unconcerned about Kimâs absence. South Korean officials say a recent visit from the Northâs top general, Hwang Pyong So, shows Kim still holds the reins of power.
Hwang was in South Korea for the opening of the 2014 Asian Games in September. The North Korean athletes at the event also reportedly paid tribute to Kim, in a sign that he is still in charge.
But speculation continues to swirl around the 31-year-old North Korean dictator, whose family has a history of internal intrigue and subterfuge.
A number of theories are circulating about the fate of Kim Jong Un, but the state-run news agency has been mum about his real whereabouts.
Poor health
Kim Jong Unâs limp has led to much speculation regarding his health. Aside from an ankle injury, diabetes or gout could also cause a person to limp.
Lynn says Kimâs weight may contribute to his ankle problems. Kim Jong Un is five-foot-seven and 220 pounds (100 kilograms), according to Lynn. That translates to a body mass index of 34.5, which health experts consider to be obese.
According to Lynn, the gout rumours spring from Kimâs long history of smoking and drinking, which he reportedly started doing at a young age. Lynn adds that Kim may even have psychological issues, but itâs impossible to know for sure.
âWe really donât have that much information about North Korea or Kim Jong Unâs health,â he said.
Though Kimâs whereabouts remain unknown, Lynn says South Korea has seen French, Russian and German doctors flying into North Korea in recent weeks.
âWe donât know for certain who or what they were treating,â he said.
Late last month, a South Korean news outlet cited sources in the North saying Kim had gout.
Public image has been a huge part of the Kim familyâs rule in North Korea. As North Koreaâs âSupreme Leader,â Kim Jong Un could be staying out of sight so his limp does not make him appear weak.
Power shift
Some have said Kim Jong Unâs younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, could be running the country now. Kim Yo-jong was introduced as a senior official in the ruling Workerâs Party last March, and is believed to be one of Kim Jong Unâs chief advisors.
If Kim Jong Un has died, Kim Yo-jang could be capable of seizing power. Itâs believed Kim Jong Un has a daughter, but that child is still an infant.
The military could also seize control of North Korea, but Hwang Pyong Soâs visit to the South last month shows that he, at least, is still loyal to Kim.
Lynn points out that North Koreans have only ever known the Kim family as their rulers. The country was founded by Kim Jong Unâs grandfather, Kim Il Sung, in 1948. Kim Il Sung named his son, Kim Jong Il, as the new ruler of North Korea in 1994. When Kim Jong Il died in 2011, Kim Jong Un ascended to become leader of the country.
Family tree
The Kim family has a complicated history. Kim Jong Unâs aunt, Kim Kyong-Hui, has not been seen for years, but she was once a top advisor to Kim Jong Il. She disappeared in 2013, shortly after Kim Jong Un ordered her husbandâs execution.
Kim Jong Un himself was not always first in line to take over from his father. Kim Jong Unâs oldest sibling, a half-brother named Kim Jong Nam, was deemed unfit to rule, and he now lives in exile in China. Kim Jong Unâs other sibling, Kim Jong Chul, reportedly still lives in North Korea. He has rarely been seen in public since Kim Jong Un took over.
Kim Jong Unâs younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, now serves as one of his advisors.
Wilder theories
As with his father Kim Jong Il before him, Kim Jong Un has often been a subject of mockery in popular culture. In the month since Kimâs last appearance, social media users have had plenty of not-so-serious theories as to where heâs been.
After yet another public event no-show, the world is asking Where is Kim Jong Un? DO YOU KNOW? #NorthKorea pic.twitter.com/Chj4kslV89
â Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) October 10, 2014
One Twitter user even mentioned the James Franco-Seth Rogen film âThe Interview,â a fictional story about the pair going to North Korea to Kim Jong Un under the guise of conducting an interview.
Kim Jong Un is missing.... Not pointing any fingers here.. But we all know who did it.. pic.twitter.com/GXAkVr3M5Z
â Vers (@whoisvers) October 10, 2014
#DPRK - Kim Jong Un sick "During inspection of "November 2 Factory" supreme leader was falling into melting cheese. pic.twitter.com/oV1IKTRACo
â Fat Cat (@FATCAed) October 10, 2014
With files from The Associated Press