Kim Jong Un apparently absent from key North Korean event

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un apparently missed a key political anniversary event Friday, extending a month-long absence that has fueled rampant speculation about his physical health and political future. Kim’s name was not listed by the state KCNA news agency among the officials who made an annual pilgrimage to the mausoleum in Pyongyang housing the remains of his father and grandfather. But a floral tribute bearing Kim’s name was presented to the two statues of Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung in the Kumsusan Palace mausoleum. Among those present during the ceremony, in which Kim has participated for the past two years, was the man widely seen as his de facto No. 2, Hwang Pyong-So.

Kim Jong Un has always shared power with other key figures and even if the internal balance of power has shifted, it is unlikely that they would want to remove him, given his unmatchable symbolic value. Again, though, everyone is guessing.

Andray Abrahamian of the Choson Exchange NGO

It’s been nearly a month since Kim was last seen. Theories for his disappearance include an extended rest period; a leadership coup; and a long list of possible illnesses and ailments, including broken ankles, gout and diabetes. North Korea strictly controls information about its government and elite, so much of what happens in Pyongyang’s inner circles is hidden from the eyes of outsiders and even many average North Koreans. An official documentary from late last month described him as dealing with “discomfort,” which led to international speculation that he may be ill. Many analysts believe that he’s unlikely to be suffering from anything particularly serious, simply because Pyongyang is admitting that something may be wrong.

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