- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's physical condition is once again being questioned after he missed a holiday event last week.
- According to a CNN report citing a US source with knowledge of the incident, "the US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery." Business Insider could not independently confirm this.
- A blog that includes posts from North Korean defectors said Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure on April 12.
- A Chinese official dealing with North Korean affairs told Reuters that Kim was not believed to be critically ill.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's physical condition is once again being questioned after he missed a holiday event last week.
According to a CNN report citing a US source with knowledge of the incident, "the US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery."
The US State Department did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider on Monday evening.
Kim, believed to be about 36 years old, was not seen publicly last Wednesday, the birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, a day normally celebrated in the country with extravagant parades. Rather than showing Kim's attendance as the North Korean government traditionally does, no such announcement was made by the state-run propaganda outlets.
DailyNK, a blog that includes posts from North Korean defectors, said Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure on April 12. DailyNK cited a source as saying the leader was recovering in a villa in the eastern part of the country. US officials did not immediately confirm those details.
Kim's most recent public appearance was April 11, through the country's state-run propaganda, CNN said.
A Chinese official dealing with North Korean affairs also told Reuters that Kim is not believed to be critically ill.
Kim was previously reported missing for roughly six weeks in 2014; he then reemerged with a cane. At the time, South Korean officials said the leader had a cyst removed from an ankle. In a book by journalist Anna Fifield of The Washington Post, Kim's health was also questioned after South Korean doctors assessed he was "severely obese" at 5-foot-7 and roughly 300 pounds.