North Korean state media publishes new Kim Jong Un photos as unverified death rumors circulate
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North Korea’s official news agency released images of Kim Jong Un inspecting footwear and clothing at an exhibition, pushing back against unverified online claims that the leader had died from a brain hemorrhage.
North Korean state media released a series of photographs on Monday showing leader Kim Jong Un examining shoes and women’s garments at a footwear and clothing exhibition. The images show Kim bending to look at a pink child’s shoe, gesturing while speaking with an official, and reaching toward a coat displayed on a mannequin, with aides standing nearby.
The release comes after unverified online rumors that the 42-year-old leader suffered a massive brain hemorrhage, fell into a coma, and died after being taken to Beijing for treatment. Those claims, circulated by a US-based Chinese dissident, also alleged that Chinese troops had been dispatched to Pyongyang and that Kim’s body had been secretly returned, but no medical records or independent evidence were provided.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim toured the exhibition on Monday, though it did not say when the photographs were taken and did not directly address the death allegations. South Korea’s intelligence service previously noted that Kim’s weight places him at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, while saying there were no clear signs of serious illness.
"The images appear intended to dispel speculation about the leader’s condition," a spokesperson for the North Korean news agency said.
The episode recalls a similar false alarm in 2020 when a defector claimed Kim had died after cardiovascular surgery, a claim later retracted after the leader appeared publicly. International outlets have described the recent rumors as unverified speculation.