North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for more than a month, prompting speculation that he has been placed under house arrest.
The 31-year-old leader has not been seen in public since an appearance at a public concert on September 3rd in the nation’s capital, Pyongyang.
Kim’s public absence has sparked extensive speculation about his whereabouts, with one report even claiming he was suffering from bad health because of an ‘addiction to cheese’.
North Korean state media reported last month that he was ‘suffering from discomfort’, but nothing else was specified.
In July, the leader had an obvious limp at the 20th anniversary of the death of his grandfather, North Korean founder, Kim Il-sung.
Remco Breuker, professor of Korean studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told the ABC the dictator could have been placed under house arrest.
‘We’re not sure where he is, or what’s happening. We don’t know whether he’s in the hospital or whether he’s been put under house arrest,’ Professor Breuker told the ABC.
Professor Felix Patrikeeff, a North Korea analyst from the University of Adelaide, told Daily Mail Australia this was not the first time a North Korean dictator had vanished from public view.
‘The same thing happened happened to Kim Il in the 1990s. He was absent from the public for some time. That era is generally looked at as a consolidation of power.’
But Patrikeeff says it’s too early to jump to any conclusions about the leaders absence.
‘It could mean any number of things. It is possible that the country could be going through a period of readjustment, but it’s just too early to say.’
‘There are further indications of changes in the leadership. For example, they have taken a milder line on South Korean relations. Some DPKR officials visited South Korea for Asian Games on Sunday. They have also recently admitted to the existence of labour camps, further suggesting they are taking a softer stance.
Patrikeeff says there is a distinct change in North Korean propaganda of late.
‘In terms of the media, there is a real lightening of the mood. The leadership in North Korea seems to be taking a more reasonable stance.’
In regards to the speculation he could be under arrest, Patrikeeff says ‘ We will have to wait and see. Any Western reports on North Korea need to be take with a grain of salt.’
‘We need clear evidence before we can make any conclusions. Generally, with this type of regime, this would mean another figure becoming prominent in the public eye and making significant announcements,’ he said.
‘If that happened, we could have reason to believe there could be an imminent change in leadership.’
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