North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in ‘grave danger’ following surgery: Report

[corbe]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in ‘grave danger’ following surgery: Report

by Zachary Halaschak

April 20, 2020 09:55 PM
 
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is reportedly in “grave danger” after a medical procedure.

A United States official with direct knowledge of the matter told CNN Monday the U.S. is monitoring intelligence of Kim’s surgery that has come out of the hermit nation.

The Daily NK, a South Korean based website, also reported that an informant inside North Korea claimed that the dictator recently had a “cardiovascular surgical procedure.”

<..snip..>

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-grave-danger-following-surgery-report

[truth_seeker]

I hope that he is okay, so his subjects can hang him by his toes, like Mussolini

[Smokin Joe]

Heart surgery? What, did he get one installed?

[Sighlass]

Perhaps Rodman donated one for him... since he loved to drool over him constantly.

[Gefn]

That must be some pretty bad surgery. He’s still relatively young, according to Wikipedia he was born in either 83 or 84.

But then he has a very high BMI and is a heavy smoker.

The question is who is next in succession? Does his leadership stay in the family or is it going to a member of his cabinet?

[corbe]

   CNN is reporting that according to anonymous sources on the House Intelligence Committee Trump did this to FastTrack his ocean front property purchase in NK. 

[catfish1957]

I take any info concering the Norks with a grain of salt.  Hell, it could be a diversion for an attack for that matters.

[skeeter]

   CNN is reporting that according to anonymous sources on the House Intelligence Committee Trump did this to FastTrack his ocean front property purchase in NK. 

I wish I could feel comfortable getting a good chuckle out of this.

[sneakypete]

Gee,that's a damn shame,huh?

[jmyrlefuller]

Lots of conflicting reports are coming out about the guy. We have MSNBC claiming he's brain-dead, we have the South Koreans claiming he's fine, we have OANN claiming a Chinese doctor gave him covid-19 during his operation... who knows at this point?

If he is nearly dead, I doubt the Norks were anticipating it so soon.

[corbe]

Scott Adams
✔
@ScottAdamsSays

BREAKING: Kim Jong-un is rumored to be brain dead and also leading in polls to replace Joe Biden.

3,893
7:21 AM - Apr 21, 2020

[corbe]

Kim Yo-jong: the sister of Kim Jong-un, fast 'becoming his alter ego'

The North Korean leader’s trusted propagandist-in-chief is in the ascendancy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has heart surgery – report

Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Sun 19 Apr 2020 21.19 EDT
Last modified on Mon 20 Apr 2020 23.04 EDT
 

Recently reinstated to the politburo, Kim Yo-jong’s public statements are watched as a signal of her brother’s position. Photograph: Jorge Silva/AP

From producing an ashtray during a cigarette break en route to a nuclear summit to issuing a statement in praise of the US president, Kim Yo-jong has become the single most important figure in the North Korean regime after her brother, the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

Since representing Kim at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Yo-jong has not only acquired prestigious titles within the ruling Workers’ party. She is rumoured to be the brains behind Kim’s carefully constructed public image, at home and abroad. In return, she enjoys the absolute confidence of her brother, a leader capable of ordering the execution of his own uncle for alleged treason.

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic – with Pyongyang continuing to insist it has not recorded a single case – Kim Yo-jong’s ascendancy continues.

Last month, she made her first public statement, condemning the South as a “frightened dog barking” after Seoul protested against a live-fire military exercise by the North. And in March, she publicly praised Donald Trump for sending Kim a letter in which he said he hoped to maintain good bilateral relations and offered help in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

<..snip..>

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/20/kim-yo-jong-the-sister-of-kim-jong-un-fast-becoming-his-alter-ego

[sneakypete]

Lots of conflicting reports are coming out about the guy. We have MSNBC claiming he's brain-dead, we have the South Koreans claiming he's fine, we have OANN claiming a Chinese doctor gave him covid-19 during his operation... who knows at this point?

If he is nearly dead, I doubt the Norks were anticipating it so soon.

@jmyrlefuller

I tend to believe the S Koreans would have the best intel on this.

This doesn't necessarily mean they would publish it,though.  I think the key would be to pay attention to the alert level of the SK army. If they are relaxed,fat boy is in no danger.

[mountaineer]

The China breaking news editor for Reuters says "not so fast":

Vincent Lee  @Rover829
Reuters: South Korea govt says Kim Jong Un is not seriously ill - Yonhap
10:48 PM · Apr 20, 2020

Vincent Lee  @Rover829
Reuters: S.KOREA GOV'T SOURCE TELLS REUTERS REPORTS OF N.KOREA'S KIM'S GRAVE ILLNESS WAS UNTRUE
11:06 PM · Apr 20, 2020

Vincent Lee  @Rover829
BEIJING, April 21 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is not believed to be critically ill, an official with the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department told Reuters on Tuesday, following media reports about the state of Kim's health.
11:22 PM · Apr 20, 2020

Francisco Franco, on the other hand, still is dead.

U.S. monitors reports of North Korean leader's illness; South Korea, China doubtful
Hyonhee Shin


SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and Chinese officials on Tuesday cast doubt on reports North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was ill after media outlets said he had undergone a cardiovascular procedure and was in “grave danger,” while U.S. officials closely monitored the situation.   

Daily NK, a Seoul-based speciality website, reported late on Monday, citing one unnamed source in North Korea, that Kim was recovering after undergoing the procedure on April 12. The North Korean leader is believed to be about 36.

“We’re monitoring these reports very closely,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday.  ...

Reuters

[mountaineer]

WashPost bureau chief in Beijing:

Anna Fifield   @annafifield

My take on the Kim Jong Un rumors:
We always need to be extremely cautious about speculation from North Korea because it's very difficult to verify. But these latest rumors are gaining traction because Kim is so obviously in such bad shape.

2:36 AM · Apr 21, 2020

WashPost video story (3 minutes long), Kim Jong Un's health has always been an issue.

[DCPatriot]

"Grave" danger?

"Is there any other kind?"  ....  Major Jessup

[mountaineer]

It Looks Like CNN Blew the Kim Jong-un Is Dead or Dying Story…And They’re Not Alone
Matt Vespa
Posted: Apr 21, 2020

Well, it finally happened. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un reportedly had heart surgery and suffered a severe complication that left him in a dire medical situation. He could also be dead. That’s what CNN and NBC News’ Katy Tur peddled out respectively. ...

Tur dropped an atom bomb that Kim Jong-un was brain dead after he slipped into a coma. She later deleted the tweet out of an abundance of caution and for good reason because the South Korean government pretty much refuted the entire story, adding that there isn’t anything unusual occurring across the 38th Parallel. No movements—nothing.  ...

Now, come tomorrow, we may find out more—but for now, it looks like CNN and NBC News, especially jumped the gun on this one. ... Townhall

[corbe]

[Right_in_Virginia]

"Grave" danger?

"Is there any other kind?"  ....  Major Jessup

   @DCPatriot

Best minute on film!

[corbe]

[mountaineer]

If Li'l Kim really had tweeted that, I'd be convinced he's dead. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

National Security Advisor Confirms White House ‘Closely’ Monitoring Kim Jong Un’s Health — Says Successor Will Likely Be In The ‘Family’
Daily Caller, Apr 21, 2020

Robert O’Brien, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, confirmed Tuesday morning that the White House is “closely” monitoring reports regarding the health of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

O’Brien, speaking during an interview on Fox News, noted that “North Korea is a very closed society, there is not a free press there,” before adding U.S. intelligence agencies are still reviewing reports on Kim’s health.

“We’re keeping a close eye on developments in North Korea as we are with other parts of the world,” he said.

He also told reporters gathered at the White House that the “basic assumption” regarding Kim’s successor would be someone within his family.

“Again, it’s too early to talk about that,” O’Brien continued. “We don’t know what condition Chairman Kim is in, and we’ll have to see how it plays out.”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/21/national-security-advisor-robert-obrien-kim-jong-un-health-surgery-successor-north-korea-dictator/

[corbe]

What if Kim Jong-un Dies?

Rumors or reality? Although Kim Jong-un’s absence indicates that something is wrong, the incident may prove to be minor. And life in the North then will go on as before. Or not.

by Doug Bandow

Policymakers in the U.S. and across Asia are considering “intelligence” (rumors and guesswork to the rest of us) that North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un may be in “grave danger” after a heart operation. The principle evidence: his failure to appear last week at Wednesday’s “Day of the Son” celebration. The holiday marks the birthday of Kim’s grandfather, Great Leader Kim Il-sung.
 
Kim Jong-un’s absence is significant. He was last seen four days prior, at a meeting of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party. However, even few in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would know the truth. Outsiders are forced to read the DPRK’s political equivalent of tea leaves.

Multiple accounts are circulating, claiming one or more sources. Some did not specify the operation. Later accounts indicated heart surgery. COVID-19 also was claimed.

South Korea’s presidential office announced: “We have no information to confirm rumors about Chairman Kim Jong-un's health issues that have been reported by some media outlets.” In short, who knows?

<..snip..>

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/what-if-kim-jong-un-dies-146477

[Fishrrman]

Gefn wrote:
"The question is who is next in succession?"

His sister, I would think.

I read elsewhere (take it with a grain of salt) that he used a surgeon for the heart valve operation from China, and that surgeon accidentally infected him with the coronavirus.

Such luck...!

[mountaineer]

Except for being an idiot, that is.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is perfectly fine, sources say
Apr 22,2020

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is fine and conducting regular activities at a provincial villa, a South Korean government source told the JoongAng Ilbo Tuesday.

“I am aware Chairman Kim is staying at a villa in Kangwon Province and has been conducting undisclosed visits to nearby locations,” said the official. “Kim is also believed to have been at a location in Munchon, near Wonsan, where the North Korean military launched a cruise missile on April 14.”

If true, the official’s remarks contradict a report by CNN Tuesday that alleged Kim was in “grave danger” after undergoing a cardiovascular operation. A U.S. official “with direct knowledge” said American intelligence was monitoring news about Kim’s health, according to CNN. ...

Korea Joongang Daily