Is North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in a coma? – SCREENSHOT Media

Is North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in a coma?

By Harriet Piercy

Aug 24, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Is Kim Jong-un in a coma?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reportedly in a coma, so his sister Kim Yo Jong has been exercising her control over national and international matters. South Korean politician Chang Song-min said to the press “I assess him to be in a coma, but his life has not ended,” and added that the dictator’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, 33, is in prime position to take over some of his powers. With a significant lack of public appearances this year, suggesting that some truth is being hidden, what is Jong-un’s true condition and is his health deteriorating?

Is Kim Jong-un dead?

Jong-un underwent a heart operation earlier this year, which sparked rumours that the politician was left in a critical condition, or even dead, however these speculations were squashed in May when images of the leader opening a fertiliser factory were released.

North Korea has also started to publish updated advice on smoking, with Jong-un being a heavy smoker himself, an anti-smoking research centre launched the “Anti-smoking 1.0” on the country’s computer network. The website is not accessible from outside North Korea, as the state’s internet is strictly controlled.

The advice that has been given to the public is hence unclear, but it is said to contain science-based information key to the anti-smoking campaign. North Korea revised a law last year to restrict imports of foreign cigarettes and prohibited electronic cigarettes including vapes, and also expanded no-smoking zones in public spaces, which shows a huge step up to support anti-smoking efforts.

Despite all of this, Jong-un failed to give up the habit himself. The most controversial side to this news is that all photographs of the leaders that were released by the North Korean press have been reported as fake. With public information being so controlled by the government, it is hard to declare the truth to what is actually going on, but the increasing secrecy around the situation has led us to believe that there is something worth hiding.

Keep On Reading

By SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT weekly roundup: Keith Urban makes Phoebe Bridgers’ hit list and the Irish win big

By Alma Fabiani

Jonah Hill texts: Men who brag about going to therapy tend to be emotional abusers

By Louis Rabinowitz

Frame by frame: This Twitter account is offering fans a whole new way to watch Breaking Bad

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

#SpeakUpForWrestlers: How India’s top wrestlers unleashed their own MeToo movement nationwide

By Jennifer Raymont

Levi’s would rather dish out on AI models than hire human diverse ones

By Charlie Sawyer

New cancer-killing pill could completely eradicate tumours from patients’ bodies

By Jennifer Raymont

Get the look: Get match ready with these 6 blokecore must-haves

By Alma Fabiani

What is Lyme disease, the illness that Bella, Anwar and Yolanda Hadid all suffer from?

By Mason Berlinka

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is proof that multiverse madness needs to end

By Jennifer Raymont

15 jorts you’ll need to channel your inner Adam Sandler this summer

By Alma Fabiani

Grimes reveals dangerous way Elon Musk seduced her in new biography

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

As more US Open players complain about weed smell on the court, the source remains a mystery

By Alma Fabiani

From DMs to heart emojis: How social media is redefining gen Z relationships

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Tory Lanez is handed a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion

By Charlie Sawyer

Gen Zers from across the UK reveal the profound impact the cost of living crisis has had on their lives

By Charlie Sawyer

The Guardian claims Greta Gerwig sold her indie soul by directing Barbie

By Mason Berlinka

Cyberflashing is fine as long as it’s meant as a prank, new UK legislation suggests

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

The Biden approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A masterclass in American avoidance

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

The rise of purchased validation: examining the Instagram blue tick phenomenon

By Charlie Sawyer

Disney’s Gay Days go ahead despite Ron DeSantis’ mounting anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Florida