Kim Jong-un, the North Korean Supreme leader is apparently struggling for his life after he underwent cardiovascular surgery on April 12.
As per media reports, Kim is now receiving treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County. Kim has been facing several health issues due to excessive smoking habits and obesity for the past couple of years, and on April 12, his medical team performed a very complicated surgery to ensure his cardiovascular health.
Kim Jong-un's current health status
Kim Jong-un's absence during his grandfather's birthday celebrations has raised eyebrows of many, and several political experts predicted that something is not well with the health of the North Korean leader. A US official who has direct knowledge on North Korea revealed that rumours regarding Kim's current health conditions are credible, but is still clueless about the severity of the illness.
It should be noted that North Korea is a country where the free press is absent, and all the information that should go out to the general public is determined by Kim Jong-un and the members in his administration. As the citizens of the country consider Kim Jong-un as a diety, nobody even dares to question the health status of their supreme leader.
Is Kim's absence hinting at something serious?
It was on April 11 that Kim Jong-un last appeared in North Koran state media. Whenever North Korean leaders fail to show up on important meetings and celebrations, something serious used to happen, and there are several other times where absences fail to portend major developments.
"There have been a number of recent rumours about Kim's health. If Kim is hospitalized, it would explain why he wasn't present on the important April 15th celebrations. But, over the years, there have been a number of false health rumours about Kim Jong-un or his father. We'll have to wait and see," said Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA deputy division chief for North Korea, CNN reports.
