Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on Tuesday rejected unconfirmed reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's illness as "fake news" and "infodemic," insisting he can say confidently there have been no unusual signs in the communist state. Speculation about Kim's health spiked after he skipped an annual visit to the mausoleum of his grandfather Kim Il-sung on the late national founder's April 15 birth anniversary, the North's most important national holiday. Media report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong-un is doing and hopes he is fine, after days of speculation over the North Korean leader’s health. Kim’s whereabouts and whether he had a heart procedure have been a subject of intense speculation in recent weeks. Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, reported last week that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on April 12, citing one unnamed source in North Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, missing commemorations for a key political anniversary, and reports he underwent a cardiovascular procedure have spiralled into speculation he could be incapacitated or even dead. Both Seoul and Washington have played them down, but there has been no concrete proof of life in Pyongyang's state media, beyond reports of messages sent in his name. AFP looks at some questions and answers on what could happen if Ki

President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed to seek ways to increase cooperation with North Korea within the boundaries of international constraints. Speaking at a meeting with senior aides on Monday, the second anniversary of this first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Moon said that Seoul must continue to take “even small steps” to continue the peace process. Moon and Kim held their first summit on April 27, 2018 on the South’s side of Panmunjom. The two met again

Despite intensifying speculation outside the country about leader Kim Jong-un’s health, North Korea’s state media has continued routine coverage of Kim, this time saying he thanked workers in the elite tourism area where he is believed to be staying.   　 The North’s official Rodong Sinmun reported Monday that Kim had sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist zone in the Wonsan-Kalma region on the east coast, without indicating when or offering other detai

Military communication lines between South and North Korea are operating normally, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday, as the two Koreas quietly marked the second anniversary of the first summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The military authorities of the two Koreas have regular telephone calls twice a day at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. via their eastern and western communication lines. The hotlines, which had been cut off for years, were restored in 2018 in line

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his gratitude to workers building a tourist zone in the east coast region of Wonsan, state media said Monday, amid reports his special train is parked at the area amid persisting speculation about his health. "Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has sent his appreciation to the workers who devoted themselves to building the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said. The Korean Central Broadcasting Station carried

Seoul says no unusual signs detected in North Korea

North Korea's state media reported on leader Kim Jong-un expressing his "appreciation" for people working to build facilities in a northern border town Sunday but continued to stay silent about his public activities for two weeks amid growing rumors about his health. "Comrade Kim Jong-un sent appreciation to workers earnestly and wholeheartedly supporting in furnishing Samjiyon," the state radio said. "Workers are in burning passion to earnestly contribute to the const

A train presumed to belong to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been spotted at a station in the communist state's eastern coastal town of Wonsan amid speculation about Kim's health, a US monitor said Sunday, citing commercial satellite imagery on the region. According to 38 North, the imagery showed a train "probably belonging to Kim Jong-un has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21." "The approximately 250-meter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stayed out of public sight Saturday, as the reclusive nation's tightly controlled media focused their coverage on the founding anniversary of its armed forces. They have carried no report of Kim's public activity since April 11, sparking speculation that the 36-year-old might be critically ill. Pyongyang's propaganda outlets instead hyped the 88th anniversary of the birth of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) that falls on April 25. The official Ko

The UN Human Rights Office in Seoul said Thursday it was concerned about coronavirus protection for prisoners in North Korea due to a “lack of transparency and information” on its prison camps. The office said prisoners were vulnerable to the coronavirus because they were locked up in cramped conditions. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said several countries had already made efforts to curb coronavirus infections in prison, in a report submitted to the UN

South Korea is seeking to hold a joint event with North Korea to mark the 20th anniversary of the first-ever inter-Korean summit despite coronavirus fears, the unification ministry said Friday. On Friday, South Korea released a midterm plan for developing inter-Korean relations as part of the government's master plan on inter-Korean relations for 2018-2022. Under the plan, South Korea said it will cooperate with nongovernmental organizations to organize a joint commemorative event and inter-K

US President Donald Trump said Thursday the CNN report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in grave danger after a surgery was “incorrect,” but declined to say if he heard anything from Pyongyang. “I think the report was incorrect, let me just put it that way,” Trump told reporters in a daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic at the White House. “I think the report was done by a network that was incorrect. I’m hearing they used old documents. Well I ho

North Korean media outlets have stayed mum on leader Kim Jong-un's whereabouts without putting out any reports on his public activity amid persisting speculation over his health. Speculation about Kim's health problems spiked after CNN reported earlier this week, citing a US official, that Washington is looking into intelligence that Kim is in "grave danger" after a surgery. North Korea's state media have recently put out reports on Kim sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts