North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in a critical condition following a medical procedure, according to news reports on Tuesday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is said to be in a critical condition following a medical procedure, according to news reports on Tuesday.
U.S. network CNN cited an intelligence source as saying that Kim was “in grave danger after a surgery”.
The online newspaper Daily NK in South Korea, which specialises in news from North Korea, claimed on Tuesday that Kim was undergoing treatment after a reported cardiovascular system procedure on April 12.
However, the president’s office in Seoul could not confirm the reports, saying that there were no indications that Kim was suffering serious health problems.
There were also no indications of any “unusual activities” in North Korea.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it could not initially comment on the reports.
There was no official comment from North Korea.
The secretive state is not in the habit of disclosing information about its leader, whose age is estimated at 36 in South Korea, or his family.
There was speculation on the state of the North Korean leader’s health after he missed celebrations marking his grandfather Kim Il Sung’s birthday on April 15.
Kim had attended a key party meeting in the capital Pyongyang on April 11.