South Korea's National Intelligence Service has told the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's death circulating on social media are false. The agency is expected to detail North Korean developments at the committee's audit on Oct. 29.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun, citing Yonhap, reported that the NIS gave the closed-door briefing to ruling and opposition lawmakers on the committee on Oct. 23. The agency said claims of Kim's death that spread recently on domestic and foreign social media were untrue. The original source of the rumors and how they spread were not confirmed in the report.
광고 문의 · 300×250No notable health problems, NIS said in September
In a Sept. 30 briefing, the NIS described Kim's health in some detail. It assessed that he weighs in the 140-kilogram range and is severely obese, putting him at high risk of cardiovascular disease. It added that he managed activities such as climbing stairs during a destroyer inspection and is closely monitored by a dedicated medical team.
On that basis, the NIS said at the time that it saw few signs of health problems. Its denial of the death rumors is seen as an extension of that assessment. North Korean state media made no mention of the latest rumors.
The Oct. 23 briefing reportedly also covered Kim Yo Jong's Oct. 20 visit, with Ministry of National Defence adviser Pak Jong Chon, to a border fortification construction site facing the South. The Kyunghyang Shinmun said there was no briefing on prospects for U.S.-North Korea talks or preparations for Kim's planned visit to China.
The NIS will undergo the Intelligence Committee's parliamentary audit on Oct. 29, where North Korean leadership trends and border activity are expected to be discussed in detail. Some politicians say swift verification by intelligence authorities matters as baseless death rumors keep resurfacing.
