China has sent a team of medical experts to North Korea to advise Kim Jong-un, Reuters learned from three people familiar with the situation, but could not immediately determine what it would say on the state of health of the North Korean leader.
Several American and South Korean media reported on Tuesday that Kim Jong-un was in serious condition following a cardiovascular operation, information questioned in official circles in Beijing and Seoul. The North Korean media has remained silent on the issue. Donald Trump said Thursday he believed false reports that the North Korean number one was seriously ill. The American president did not say if he had been in contact with representatives in Pyongyang.
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A delegation led by a senior representative from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) international liaison department left Beijing for North Korea on Thursday, two of the sources said. The department is the main Chinese body responsible for relations with the North Korean neighbor. No comments could be obtained immediately from the CCP Liaison Department. China's foreign ministry has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
A source in South Korea told Reuters on Friday that their information indicated that Kim Jong-un was alive and would soon make a public appearance. The person said that she had no comments on Kim's current health or any involvement from China. According to a representative close to the American intelligence services, Kim is known to have health concerns but there is nothing to conclude at the moment that he is seriously ill or unable to reappear in public in the future.
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A spokesperson for the US State Department said she had no comments. Interviewed by Fox News television on Thursday after Donald Trump's statements, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had no information to share, adding that the United States is monitoring the situation closely.
North Korea is one of the most isolated and secret countries in the world. The issue of the health of its leaders is considered to be related to national security.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm details of Kim's health or where he was.
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Official press in Pyongyang last reported on Kim Jong-un's travels on April 11. She did not mention her presence at the ceremonies organized on April 15 for the birthday of her grandfather Kim Il-sung, founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which fueled speculation. Kim Jong-un, 36, had previously disappeared from reports in the North Korean official press. In 2014, the leader had disappeared for more than a month before official television then broadcast images of him walking in a limp.
Beijing is Pyongyang's main ally and its economic lifeline, while North Korea is targeted by UN sanctions for its ballistic and nuclear programs.
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