National security adviser Robert O’Brien said the United States was closely monitoring news reports that Kim Jong Un is in “grave danger” after undergoing surgery.
O’Brien made a Tuesday morning appearance on Fox and Friends during which he was asked about the situation less than 12 hours after reports of Kim’s health troubles first emerged.
“Well, we’re monitoring these reports very closely,” O’Brien said. “And, as you know, North Korea’s a very closed society. There’s not a free press there. They’re parsimonious with the information that they provide about many things, including the health of Kim Jong Un. So we’re monitoring those developments closely.”
News about the dictator began to percolate late Monday night when CNN, citing a U.S. official, reported that the intelligence community was monitoring reports that Kim was in “grave danger” following a surgery, which a source told South Korean-based Daily NK was a cardiovascular procedure.
South Korean officials have also been monitoring the situation, but the country’s Yonhap News reported that the nation has seen “no unusual signs with regard to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health.”
Kim was not seen at his grandfather’s birthday, which was on April 15 and is the most important national holiday in the hermit nation. His absence caused analysts to speculate about the reason why he wasn’t present.
There is reportedly no indication that the health complications are related to the coronavirus pandemic.
O’Brien didn’t provide many details outside of what is already known but said a number of top officials at the White House and the Pentagon were looking into the matter.
“People should know that we have a great intelligence community,” he said. “The president, the vice president, Secretary [Mike] Pompeo, Secretary [Mark] Esper, Gen. [Mark] Milley, we’ve got a lot of watchmen on the towers during this coronavirus crisis, making sure that America is safe, whether it’s from the virus or from adversaries abroad.”
“So we’re keeping a close eye on developments in North Korea as we are in other parts of the world,” he added.
A spokesperson with the State Department told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that the department was “continuing to monitor the situation.”
