SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has finally resurfaced with the help of a walking stick after a prolonged, unexplained absence that fuelled rampant speculation about his health and rumours of a coup in the nuclear-armed state.
State media yesterday reported that Kim, who had not been seen in public for nearly six weeks, made an inspection tour of a newly-built housing complex in Pyongyang and a science institute.
The front page of the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun was mostly taken up with a large close-up portrait of a smiling Kim, photographed from the waist upwards.
The daily carried smaller, full-length photos showing Kim leaning on a black walking stick in his left hand as he toured the residential complex built for scientists working on North Korea’s satellite programme.
The visit was also reported by state TV, but using the same pictures and without any video footage, making it impossible to judge just how mobile Kim was.
“Looking over the exterior of the apartment houses and public buildings, decorated with diverse coloured tiles, (Kim) expressed great satisfaction, saying they looked very beautiful,” the official KCNA news agency said.
KCNA did not specify the date of the visit,
It also made no mention of Kim’s absence from the public eye and offered no insight into his physical wellbeing. AFP
