Where in the world is Kim Jong Un?
That is just one of the myriad questions about the reclusive North Korean leader since his absence during a major holiday earlier this month. Satellite imagery analysis from North Korea-monitoring website NK Pro suggested that Kim may be at one of his favorite resorts in the coastal city of Wonsan.
Leisure boats used by Kim while in Wonsan have been active throughout April and made “unusual moves” at about the time of an April 14 missile test that is shrouded in secrecy, according to the Tuesday report. The ship movements reportedly align with past visits by the North Korean dictator.
“Extensive analysis shows that similar leisure boat movements at an exclusive villa in Wonsan and a nearby island near the Kalma peninsula have aligned with Kim’s public appearances in the area in every one of a half-dozen instances since last summer, and many more dating back to 2013,” the analysis said.
Kim was last seen in public on April 11, fueling contrasting rumors about his health. Reports circulated last week that he was in “grave danger” following heart surgery or was in a vegetative state. Kim was not seen in public last Friday while the hermit nation’s state-run media marked the 88th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces. The dictator was also absent from the country’s most important national holiday, his grandfather and North Korean founder Kim Il Sung’s birthday.
The U.S. intelligence community is investigating reports that the dictator is unwell, but South Korean officials have poured cold water on the notion that Kim is in failing health. An adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday that Kim is “alive and well” in Wonsan and has been in the area since about April 13.
Kim’s coastal getaway features multiple guest villas, a basketball court, a private beach, and a private train station, where it is believed that his train, his favorite mode of transportation, has been parked.
A private airstrip near Kim’s mansion was reportedly torn down last year to make room for horse-riding tracks. The Wonsan compound is the same one that NBA star Dennis Rodman visited during a controversial 2013 trip to meet the newly anointed Kim, who assumed control of the country after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in 2011. Among Kim’s other leisure goods is a 95-foot Princess 95MY yacht, which was worth about $7 million in 2013.
There has been some conjecture that the dictator may have been present for an April 14 missile test, which may have been a failure given the lack of internal reporting on the launch by North Korea’s state-run media. Some have even speculated that Kim was injured while overseeing the April 14 drills.
Still, speculation is rampant about what Kim is doing at the resort. There have been rumors that he might have gone there to avoid the coronavirus pandemic and distance himself from others in the isolated country.
North Korea has claimed to have had no cases of COVID-19, but South Korean news organization the Daily NK reported in early March that nearly 200 North Korean soldiers had died during an outbreak of the virus. Furthermore, the regime has reportedly reached out to the international community for assistance with testing.
Speculation about Kim’s health previously swirled in 2014 when he disappeared for more than a month. He reemerged in public sporting a cane, which intelligence indicated was the result of a cyst removal surgery.
Kim is already known to be in poor general health and is a heavy smoker who reportedly weighs about 300 pounds and is about 5 feet, 7 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall. That weight-to-height ratio would make him morbidly obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular problems and makes individuals more susceptible to major health issues.
Amid the reports about Kim’s health, President Trump implied on Monday that he had insight into the matter.
“I can’t tell you exactly. Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can’t talk about it now,” the president said of Kim’s health at a Rose Garden news conference. “I just wish him well. I’ve had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment.
