North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reportedly in “grave danger” after undergoing surgery, according to a CNN source who claims to have direct knowledge of the despot’s condition.
Kim was last seen on April 11, and was a conspicuous absence during national celebrations of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15.
The unnamed US official’s claim is yet to be confirmed by the CIA, the National Security Council and the US State Department, CNN states.
South Korean authorities are yet to comment on the report, too.
Citing an earlier South Korean media report, Reuters states Kim is recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular surgery earlier in the month.
Even then, that report relied on unidentified sources – a major player in smuggling news and gossip out of the notoriously secretive nation.
Kim, 36, became North Korea’s Supreme Leader in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
His regime has agitated against South Korea in recent years with a series of missile tests.
Despite fears for the nation’s potential to cause further unrest in the region, US President Donald Trump met with Kim in 2018, marking the first-ever meeting of the leaders of the US and North Korea.
