US is ready for Kim Jong Un's death with contingency plan, may seek China's help in North Korea: Reports
The United States government reportedly has contingency plans in place if the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un dies. This comes amid reports that Pyongyang's supreme leader's health is in a pretty grave state.
The said plans were discussed by sources in the know who also cautioned about the veracity of the reports claiming Kim's heal was deteriorating after cardiovascular surgery, according to the Fox News reports. The plans reportedly include the possibility of a mass-scale humanitarian crisis inside the hermit nation, like a famine. One official described a scenario in North Korea, where millions of people could face starvation and a possible mass exodus of North Korean refugees into China.
A part of the US plan would be to rely on neighboring China to step in and assist in managing the situation in North Korea, particularly because US would face challenges in providing humanitarian assistance from halfway around the globe, an intelligence source told the outlet.
A Seoul-based online news periodical, the Daily NK, on Monday, April 20, had reported that the North Korean leader was recovering from his surgery, conducted on April 12, and was currently at a resort country villa on the east coast. Kim's purported poor health was also reported by CNN, which cited heavy smoking, obesity, and overwork as the key reasons behind it.
However, despite such reports, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, on Tuesday, April 21, said that the South Korean government had not seen any unusual signs suggesting that the Pyongyang supreme leader was ill.
A spokesperson for the South Korean president released a statement, saying nothing unusual had been observed in the neighboring northern nation. "No unusual signs have been identified inside North Korea," Kang Min-Seok said. "There is nothing we can confirm with regard to Chairman Kim’s alleged health problem."
A senior presidential official also commented on the North Korean leader, saying that Kim was staying in a provincial region together with close aides. "No unusual signs have been found that can back up the alleged health problem," the official said, adding that Kim appeared to be acting "normally".
"North Korea’s Workers’ Party, the military, the cabinet are not showing any special moves, such as an emergency alert," he added.
Kim's health came under scrutiny after he gave a miss to an annual visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun for the 108th birthday of his late grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung, last week.
The denuclearization talks between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader have been stalled since the pair met in the DMZ separating the two Koreas in June 2019. National security adviser Robert O’Brien, amid the recent reports, told the reporters on April 21 at the White House that the administration was watching the reports closely.
"We are monitoring these reports very closely and as you know, North Korea is a very closed society, there is not a free press there, they are parsimonious with the information they provide on many things, including the health of Kim Jong Un," O’Brien said.