Yonhap reported that South Korean diplomatic and security officials had received nothing to substantiate online claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died, while state media published photos of him at an exhibition.
Yonhap identified Wanjun Xie, a Chinese dissident living in the United States, as the source of the posts on X. Xie claimed Kim died after a brain hemorrhage and treatment in Beijing. Yonhap reported that Xie offered no evidence.
KCNA released images Oct. 20 from Kim’s visit the previous day to the National Garment and Footwear Exhibition-2026, showing him with his wife and daughter; EconoTimes previously reported on the exhibition photos. KCNA’s account did not address the health allegation.
The Korea Herald reported that South Korea’s spy agency considered Kim physically active and found no signs of serious illness on Sept. 30, though it put his weight above 140 kilograms and noted elevated cardiovascular risks.
The Korea Herald traced similar speculation to 1986, 2008, 2014, 2020 and 2025. It reported that two South Korean lawmakers publicly questioned in 2020 whether Kim was dead or incapacitated before he reappeared. The newspaper linked recurring rumors to limited information about North Korea’s leadership. It also reported that North Korea waited more than a day to announce Kim Il-sung’s death in 1994 and Kim Jong-il’s in 2011.
