No signs Kim received heart surgery: S Korea spy agency

No signs Kim received heart surgery: S Korea spy agency

There are no signs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received heart surgery when he disappeared from state media for three weeks, but he reduced public activity due to coronavirus concerns, South Korean lawmakers briefed by the spy agency said on Wednesday.

Emer McCarthy reports.

South Korea says that despite his three week absence, there are no signs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has received heart surgery.

According to North Korean state media, Kim attended the completion of a fertiliser plant on Saturday-- his first public appearance since mid-April.

His absence fueled a flurry of speculation about his health and whereabouts, with one South Korean news outlet reporting Kim was recovering from a cardiovascular procedure while CNN said U.S. officials were monitoring intelligence that he was "in grave danger" after surgery.

But South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee said that the reports were "groundless''- after a meeting with the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Although Kim has only made 17 public appearances so far this year, compared with an average of 50 from previous years, the NIS concluded that he was performing his duties outside of the public eye.