As rumors alleging North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be dead or in a vegetative state continue to circulate, North Korean media has offered not entirely convincing proof of the leader’s wellbeing in the form of a reported thank you letter from Kim to builders at a seaside resort.
A state run news outlet provided this “proof” Monday, the New York Post reported. The outlet alleged Kim had sent the letter of gratitude to builders in Wonsan, where South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency claims the leader has been staying since April 13.
“Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has sent his appreciation to the workers who devoted themselves to building the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone,” the Rodong Sinmun reported. The report has been echoed by The Korean Central Broadcasting Station, according to Yonhap.
Kim was last seen at a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party to discuss the coronavirus threat on April 11. Since then, various unverified rumors have alleged the leader is dead, unconscious, or, according to North and South Korea, doing just fine.
Meanwhile, satellite imagery reportedly shows what appeared to be Kim’s personal train parked at a station in Wonsan “since at least April 21,” according to US monitoring website 38 North. While the site adds that the train does not prove Kim’s location or indicate anything about his health, “it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast.”
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