A special train possibly belonging to reclusive North Korean leader, ruler, Kim Jong-un, has been spotted at a resort town, claimed a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, amid reorts that Kim is 'unwell'.
The monitoring project, 38 North, said in that the train was parked at the “leadership station” in Wonsan on April 21, reported Guardian. It is to be noted that the 'leadership station' is reserved for the use of Kim and his close family members,
“The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” the report said.
Speculation about Kim’s failing health started doing the rounds after ge failed to attend the anniversary of the birthday of North Korea’s founding father and Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, on April 21.
The specualtions got stronger on Saturday (April 25) afer Kim did not attend another national holiday, North Korea’s Military Foundation Day.
Newsweek rpeorted that the US intelligence has not notice any unusual military activity in the reclusive regime but Washington is closely moinitoring the situation.
“We have observed no indications or received any additional information to make a conclusive assessment on the status of North Korean leadership or health of Kim Jong-un,” Newsweek quoted a senior unnamed Pentagon official as saying.
According to North Korea’s state media, Kim last presided over a meeting on 11 April. Meanwhile , China has sent a team including medical experts to North Korea to advise on Kim, said people who are aware of the development to Guardian.
North Korea has so far preferred to remain silent on media reports suggesting that leader Kim Jong Un may be unwell. There's also a renewed worry about who's next in line to run the country if Kim Jong Un dies.
The nuclear-armed nation has been ruled by the same family for seven decades. Questions about Kim's health flared after he skipped an April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. It's North Korea's most important event, and Kim, believed to be 36, hadn't missed it since inheriting power from his father in late 2011.
Kim is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, and a strong personality cult has been built around him, his father and grandfather. The family's mythical, Paektu, bloodline, named after the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula, is said to give only direct family members the right to rule the nation. That makes Kim's younger sister, senior ruling party official Kim Yo Jong, the most likely candidate to step in if her brother is gravely ill, incapacitated or dies.
