N. Korea’s Kim Jong-Un reappears after extended absence

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visited a residential district and a scientific establishment, state media said early on Tuesday, ending a lengthy absence from public view that had fueled speculation over his health and grip on power in the secretive country. The report in the official KCNA news agency did not mention the 31-year-old Kim’s prolonged absence from public view. He had not appeared in public since attending a concert with his wife on September 3, missing a key political anniversary on Friday, as well as a recent session of the country’s parliament.

North Korean propaganda has made Kim’s presence so critical that international media regard his absence as disquieting, even … without supporting indicators of instability or upset in Pyongyang.

Scott Snyder, a Korea expert with the Council on Foreign Relations

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