North Korea 'proves' Kim Jong-un is alive by releasing his thank you message to builders
North Korea has issued a statement "from Kim Jong-un" in what seems to be an effort to show that he is not dead given the current rumors about his health.
Kim is believed to have sent the thank you message to builders who are working in the seaside resort of Wonsan amid reports that he was either dead, gravely ill, or in a vegetative state.
According to state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Kim had sent a personal message thanking the builders working on a tourism project in Wonsan. Wonsan was also the location where it is believed that the train Kim uses was last spotted.
It is not known whether the letter was actually sent by Kim and no new pictures of the leader have been released to the media.
Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence has revealed that they are very confident that Kim is alive and well as US officials have continued to investigate his absence.
It is also believed that Kim may be hiding out amid the coronavirus pandemic.
We had previously reported that US senator Lindsey Graham said that he would be "shocked" if Kim is not dead. Graham shared that he did not have any knowledge of Kim's condition. He added that Pyongyang has remained silent on the current rumors.
On April 15, Kim didn’t appear at a celebration honoring the founder of the country, Kim’s late grandfather Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s most important holiday. His absence led to rumors of him being severely ill or even dead.
Senator Graham shared, "So I pretty well believe he is dead or incapacitated. And I hope the long-suffering North Korean people will get some relief if he is dead."
We had earlier reported that Kim's sister Kim Yo-jong—alleged to be his successor—could be even more ruthless than her dictator brother is rumored to have been throughout his eight-year reign, according to a report by the Daily Mirror.
In a conversation with the outlet, Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, an expert on totalitarian regimes, explained that gender would be no barrier for Kim Yo-jong to be accepted by the political old guard as the new dictator-in-chief. If that happens, she would further solidify the dynasty's reign over the country, which was started by Kim Il-sung in 1948.
“I don’t believe that her being a woman will weaken her position if she takes over as leader," Prof Lindstaedt said. “These people are not viewed or portrayed as even being human-like to the people of North Korea – as we have seen with Kim Jong-un. They are presented as gods who can make everything better."
“If she became supreme leader the same would apply to her and she would become god-like and every portrayal of her would do the same thing," she continued. “It is possible she will adopt an even harder line than her brother in dealing with the rest of the world because of the level of poverty. There is nothing else – it is all they have. I do believe she is as tough as her brother and she has been very visible in recent times."