There has been rampant speculation about the health of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un over the past few weeks. It began on April 15, when he missed the national celebration of his grandfather's birthday.
Kim reportedly had cardiovascular surgery and has been recovering at his luxurious compound in Wonsan, which is on the country's eastern coast. Last week, reports began to circulate that there were complications during the surgery, and Kim was in grave condition. On Saturday (April 25), there were multiple reports that Kim had died or could be in a vegetative state, though none of them could confirm that Kim passed away.
On Sunday (April 26), a top South Korean official told CNN that their intelligence reports indicate that Kim is "alive and well."
"Our government position is firm," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected."
If Kim does die, many officials expect that his sister, Kim Yo Jong, will take control. She is his closest confidant, and would likely rule with an iron fist, just like her brother.
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