SEOUL,
South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first
public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a
fertilizer factory near Pyongyang, state media said Saturday, ending an
absence that had triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill.
The
North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended
the ceremony Friday in Sunchon with other senior officials, including
his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her
brother is suddenly unable to rule.
State
media showed videos and photos of Kim wearing a black Mao suit and
constantly smiling, walking around facilities, applauding, cutting a
huge red ribbon with a scissor handed by his sister, and smoking inside
and outside of buildings while talking with other officials.
Seemingly
thousands of workers, many of them masked, stood in lines at the
massive complex, roaring in celebration and releasing balloons into the
air. A sign installed on a stage where Kim sat with other senior
officials read: “Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory; Completion
Ceremony; May 1, 2020.”
There
were no clear signs that Kim was in discomfort. He was shown moving
without a walking stick, like the one he used in 2014 when he was
recovering from a presumed ankle surgery. However, he was also seen
riding a green electric cart, which appeared similar to a vehicle he
used in 2014.
It
was Kim’s first public appearance since April 11, when he presided over
a ruling Workers’ Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus and
reappoint his sister as an alternate member of the powerful
decision-making Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee. That
move confirmed her substantial role in the government.
Speculation
about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 birthday
celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s most
important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
The
possibility of high-level instability raised troubling questions about
the future of the secretive, nuclear-armed state that has been steadily
building an arsenal meant to threaten the U.S. mainland while diplomacy
between Kim and President Donald Trump has stalled.
Some
experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally
Washington, must begin preparing for the possible chaos that could come
if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. Worst-case
scenarios include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or
military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons.
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“The
world is largely unprepared for instability in North Korea,” said
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Washington,
Seoul and Tokyo need tighter coordination on contingency plans while
international organizations need more resources and less controversy
over the role of China.”
South
Korea’s Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs,
confirmed Kim’s visit to the fertilizer factory and said it was part of
his efforts to emphasize economic development. The ministry called for
discretion on information related to North Korea, saying that the
“groundless” rumors of past weeks have caused “unnecessary confusion and
cost” for South Korea’s society and financial markets.
South
Korea’s government, which has a mixed record of tracking Pyongyang’s
ruling elite, repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be
36, was in poor health following surgery.
The
office of President Moon Jae-in said it detected no unusual signs in
North Korea or any emergency reaction by its ruling party, military and
cabinet. Seoul said it believed Kim was still managing state affairs but
staying at an unspecified location outside Pyongyang.
The
KCNA said workers at the fertilizer factory broke into “thunderous
cheers” for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to
build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile
forces.”
The report didn’t mention any direct comment toward Washington or Seoul.
Speaking
to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to comment about Kim’s
reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the
appropriate time.”
State
media reported Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public
view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South
Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities
in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
It
wasn’t immediately clear what caused Kim’s absence in past weeks. In
2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then
reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst
removed from his ankle.
Analysts
say his health could become an increasing factor in years ahead: he’s
overweight, smokes and drinks, and has a family history of heart issues.
If he’s
suddenly unable to rule, some analysts said his sister would be
installed as leader to continue Pyongyang’s heredity dynasty that began
after World War II.
But
others question whether core members of North Korea’s elite, mostly men
in their 60s or 70s, would find it hard to accept a young and untested
female leader who lacks military credentials. Some predict a collective
leadership or violent power struggles.
Following
an unusually provocative run in missile and nuclear tests in 2017, Kim
used the Winter Olympics in South Korea to initiate negotiations with
Washington and Seoul in 2018. That led to a surprising series of
summits, including three between Kim and Trump.
But
negotiations have faltered in past months over disagreements in
exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps, which raised doubts
about whether Kim would ever fully deal away an arsenal he likely sees
as his strongest guarantee of survival.
Kim
entered 2020 vowing to build up his nuclear stockpile and defeat
sanctions through economic “self-reliance.” Some experts say the North’s
self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis could potentially
hamper his ability to mobilize people for labor.
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