Trump adds to confusion over Kim Jong-un's health, says he has 'a very good idea... but can't talk about it'
US President Donald Trump has revealed that he knows the current health status of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Un but cannot tell. He also shared that the rest of the world would be hearing additional details "in the not-too-distant future" but did not give away any more details.
While at a White House conference on Monday, Trump revealed that he could not "tell you exactly" the status of Kim's health. He then added that he did have a "very good idea" about his condition and health. "But I can’t talk about it now. I just wish him well." During the same press conference, the president told the reporters, "He didn't say anything last Saturday. Nobody knows where he is so he obviously couldn't have said it. This is breaking news that Kim Jong Un made a statement on Saturday. I don't think so."
Trump made a reference to Kim's reported message to workers that was spoken about by the North Korean state media. It was just last week that it was reported that the US had been monitoring intelligence that suggested that Kim was in grave danger post-surgery.
National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien made it clear that the Trump administration was tracking any developments regarding Kim. "We're monitoring these reports very closely. As you know, North Korea is a very closed society. There's not a free press there. They're parsimonious with the information they provide about many things, including the health of Kim Jong Un," O'Brien shared with Fox News, CNN reports.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also shared, "We are watching the situation very keenly." POTUS Trump's comments seem to signal that he believes that Kim is currently alive.
We had previously reported that there has been a lot of speculation about Kim's condition as to whether he was dead, given his notable absence from the celebration of the republic's 88th anniversary. There were also reports that the leader's train had been at a halt for several days which added to the speculation.
According to satellite images, a train believed to belong to Kim has been stationary since last week. The pictures were released by 38 North, a website that specializes in North Korean studies. The train has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station since at least April 21, the report revealed.
"The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," it was said.
North Korean media, however, has been strangely mum about the rumors and continues to publish old (or undated) statements from Kim about the economy and other topics showing as if everything is fine in the country. The hashtag #kimjongundead was seen trending globally on Saturday on Twitter.
Should anything have happened to the supreme leader, it has been reported that his sister, Kim Yo-jong, will be stepping in to take over her brother's role. Experts believe that Yo-jong will be even more fierce and ruthless than her brother has been over his eight-year rule.