South Korea Says North Korea’s Absent Kim May Be Trying to Avoid Coronavirus

Fear of catching the coronavirus could have kept North Korean leader 👤Kim Jong Un away from state ceremonies for a key holiday in mid-April, a South Korean minister said on Tuesday as speculation swirled over Kim’s whereabouts and health.

Under 👤Kim Jong Un, North Korea has expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, and with no obvious successor, any change in leadership in the authoritarian country would raise concerns about instability that could impact other North Asian countries and the United States.

The speculation about Kim’s health erupted after his unprecedented absence from ceremonies marking the April 15 birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung.

South Korea’s Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said it was plausible that Kim decided against attending because of the coronavirus, given the stringent steps his government has taken to head off an outbreak.

“It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung’s birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns,” the unification minister told a parliamentary hearing.

“I don’t think that’s particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation,” the minister said, though North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

The South Korean minister noted that there were at least two instances since mid-January when 👤Kim Jong Un