In what could be seen as an indication to the North Korean leader being possibly overthrown by defectors within his reclusive country, reports have claimed that North Korean officials, who paid a surprise visit to the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in South Korea, were escorted by bodyguards -- hitherto thought to be loyal to Kim Jong-un.
In addition to that, the high-profile visitors, who came in absence of the hermit kingdom's infamous leader, had used the jet previously reserved only for him.
The delegation of top North Korean officials were at all times accompanied by the said group of buff bodyguards in suits and sunglasses, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported, along with a photograph of the bodyguards. The paper further said, citing an anonymous source, that they were "probably" members of an elite unit that is given the responsibility of protecting Kim.
Even if the dictator allowed his bodyguards to be used by his officials, which in itself looks unlikely in the first place, the fact that the leader's jet was used by the delegation is intriguing. The newspaper that first reported the incident says it indicated "how much trust they carried from their leader", but the incident is not likely to be taken with a pinch of salt by international observers.
Speculations and rumours of what might have happened to the leader have been spreading as it has been over a month since he was publicly seen. The official North Korean News Agency has confirmed that Kim is indeed sick but the rarity of such an occurrence has fuelled assumptions that he could have possibly been overthrown, an incident that will have all blessings from the Western alliance, which has long been irked by the nation's nuclear proliferation program and human rights issues.
