Kim Jong-un has reportedly not been seen in public for almost a month, including missing a key photo opportunity, sparking fresh concerns for his health.
The North Korean leader is understood to have skipped a post-event appearance for the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) congress held in Pyongyang last week after last appearing on May 6.
It would mark the first time ever the dictator, 37, has failed to pose for a picture at an event of this size, according to NK News.
The GFTUK is considered one of four ‘transmission belts’ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), ensuring its rules and ideology continue to be enforced, along with the youth league, women’s union and agricultural workers’ union.
It comes almost exactly a year after he vanished in April 2020 for three weeks, sparking rumours he had died or was in a coma, followed by further lengthy periods of absence throughout the rest of the year.
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(Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)
It is understood Kim’s last public showing was for photos after an event for military families four weeks ago.
If he did appear at the GFTUK event, state media have taken the unprecedented step of not reporting it for nearly a week.
Instead, state media reports say Kim sent a letter containing detailed instructions to be read aloud at the conference.
(Image: via REUTERS)
Despite North Korea’s latest report to the World Health Organisation claiming it still has not recorded a single Covid case, Kim has largely remained more low key throughout the pandemic.
The despot leader is now in his seventh absence lasting 20 days or more from public view since the start of last year.
His longest-ever stint out of view was in 2014, when state media admitted he had been ill after he resurfaced with a limp and a walking cane.
Kim’s most recent disappearance comes after he ordered a man to be shot by the firing squad in front of 500 people for illegally selling music and films.
The engineer, whose surname was Lee, was executed last week as his family was forced to watch after he was caught secretly selling CDs and USBs with South Korean content.
Lee allegedly confessed to the sale of the media content and authorities are tracking down who purchased the items from him.
