North Koreaupdated 1h ago3 min read
North Korea Releases Photos Of Kim Jong Un After Brain Hemorrhage Death Rumors
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KCNA and Rodong Sinmun published photos of Kim Jong Un at Pyongyang exhibition with daughter. Rumors claimed he died from brain hemorrhage or fell into coma amid social-media speculation.
22 outlets told this the same way.
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Photos counter death claims
North Korean state media released photos of Kim Jong Un touring a consumer goods exhibition featuring clothing and footwear on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), after social media rumors claimed he had died from a brain hemorrhage. Wanjun Xie, who identifies himself as chairman of the China Democracy Party, claimed on X that Kim Jong Un suffered a "severe cerebral hemorrhage and fallen into a coma" before being transferred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for emergency treatment, and that Kim later died. Photographs published by Rodong Sinmun showed the 42-year-old leader examining displays alongside his daughter, Ju Ae, hours after Xie’s claim circulated.
South Korean intelligence officials told Yonhap they had heard nothing to support the reports, while North Korean state media continued to publish images of Kim’s activities. The Anadolu Ajansı account said the state media photos showed Kim touring the exhibition alongside his daughter, Ju Ae, and party and government officials, as rumors spread abroad.
Unverified claims and denials
Wanjun Xie alleged that North Korea sought medical assistance from China because its medical facilities could not provide the treatment required, and he claimed a team from Peking Union Medical College Hospital was dispatched to North Korea.
Xie further claimed that Kim Jong Un was transferred to Beijing for emergency surgery but died after doctors failed to save him, and he said the body had been returned to North Korea while the announcement of his death was being withheld.
Xie’s claims were described as unverified, and he had previously circulated unverified claims including speculation about the death of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Alejandro Cao de Benós, North Korea’s special envoy for cultural relations, denied the rumors and told TN, "It is false. It all started from a Chinese X account," while the same report said Pyongyang did not immediately comment on the rumors.
The Chosunbiz account said experts reacted cautiously, and it quoted North Korea expert Benedict Rogers telling the Sun, "There have been rumors of his death before."
Succession stakes and military talk
Rumors about Kim Jong Un’s health also fed speculation about succession, with Xie claiming that North Korea’s leadership had not passed to Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, and that Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jong was in control of the regime. The Economic Times account said Xie claimed Kim Yo-jong strengthened her authority over the North Korean military by escalating tensions with South Korea, including that North Korea fired 201 warning shots and warned it was considering a comprehensive upgrade of its tactical strike capabilities. Xie claimed China dispatched 9,000 troops to Pyongyang to help Kim Ju-ae stabilize her position, and the claim that China’s Northern Theater Command was placed on heightened alert at Level III was described.
KCNA’s official text said, "The respected comrade Kim Jong Un, secretary-general of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, toured on October 19 the venue of an exhibition of garments and footwear from the light industry sector," while the photos lacked verification by international agencies. The BBC framed the stakes around succession and control, saying any sudden leadership crisis raises questions about control of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and the prospect of political instability.