North Korean state media has released fresh photographs of leader Kim Jong Un walking through a clothing and shoe exhibition. They appeared within hours of viral social media claims that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage and died in Beijing. There is no credible evidence that he is dead, but the photos don’t settle every question about his health either.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim toured a garment and footwear exhibition on Monday, October 19. The pictures show him examining children’s shoes, gesturing to officials and reaching toward the sleeve of a woman’s coat on a mannequin. Kim was reportedly accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju.
Here is how a few posts on X turned into a global news story, and what is actually confirmed.
How the Kim Jong Un death rumours started
The speculation traces back to a series of posts by Wanjun Xie, a US-based Chinese dissident linked to the China Democracy Party. On Sunday, October 18, he claimed Kim had suffered a severe cerebral haemorrhage and slipped into a coma. His account said specialists from Peking Union Medical College Hospital had flown into North Korea to help. When conditions at home proved inadequate, he claimed, Kim was moved to the Beijing hospital. There he supposedly died, and his body was quietly returned to Pyongyang.
The story grew from there. Xie also claimed China had sent 9,000 troops to Pyongyang to help stabilise the country, and that the People’s Liberation Army’s Northern Theatre Command had been put on high alert. He said the military was suspending leave and recalling personnel.
None of it came with proof. The New York Post, which broke the story to a wide audience, reported that the allegations had no medical records, identifiable witnesses or other independently verifiable evidence behind them. The paper said it had asked the North Korean and Chinese governments, and the hospital, for comment. Newswav also noted that Xie made a separate claim in September that Chinese President Xi Jinping had suffered a stroke at the BRICS summit in India.
The “proof of life” photos
The pictures are small, ordinary moments, which is partly why they drew so much attention. One shows Kim bending forward to look at a small pink shoe held by a woman. Another catches him mid-gesture, arms outstretched, apparently speaking to an official.
Caution is warranted. The photographs have not been independently authenticated, and it is unclear exactly when they were taken. No independent journalists were there to verify the event. That caveat matters because North Korea has used staged or undated imagery before. After reports of a stroke involving Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, in 2008, officials in Seoul pointed out that photos released by Pyongyang showed foliage that didn’t match the season.
Still, it is a reported public appearance by a man the rumours said was dead, published by the state’s own news agency. The online claims now have to contend with it.
Did Kim Yo-jong take over?
Part of Xie’s story said Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, had seized control, bypassing Kim Ju-ae. He pointed to recent aggression toward South Korea as evidence. Xie said she immediately restarted loudspeaker broadcasts and fired 201 warning shots, and that this was meant to consolidate her grip on the military.
There is a real statement behind part of this. Reuters reported on October 19 that Kim Yo-jong warned of renewed loudspeaker broadcasts and a possible expansion of North Korea’s tactical strike capabilities amid border tensions. She is a senior figure who regularly issues warnings like this on behalf of Pyongyang. Her statement is not evidence that Kim Jong Un is dead or that power has changed hands. Xie’s further allegations about the warning shots also lacked corroboration.
What South Korea’s intelligence service says
Seoul has not backed the death claims. South Korean intelligence and defence officials describe the rumours as unverified, and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has said it has detected no health concerns. The same report notes that real leadership crises usually leave traces, such as unusual military movements, communications blackouts or emergency high-level meetings. None of those have been reported.
The NIS had also commented on Kim’s health only recently. On September 30, it told lawmakers that Kim is classified as extremely obese and weighs more than 140 kilograms, about 310 pounds. The agency said severe obesity puts him at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, but it reported no significant signs of ill health, pointing to his ability to run up stairs during an inspection of a naval destroyer.
So the picture from Seoul is mixed. Kim carries serious health risks, but the people watching him most closely say they see no emergency.
Kim Jong Un’s health: a long history of speculation
Kim’s health has been a source of fascination for years, partly because North Korea tells the outside world so little. He is a heavy smoker who has long been obese, and his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung, who shared those habits, both died of heart attacks.
The rumour mill has misfired before:
- 2020: Speculation flared when Kim missed a commemoration of his late grandfather’s birthday and vanished from public view for about 20 days. Ji Seong-ho, a defector turned South Korean lawmaker, said he was almost certain Kim had died after cardiovascular surgery. Kim reappeared, and Ji apologised.
- Late 2022: Kim was out of public view for 36 days before appearing at a Central Military Commission meeting.
Each time, a gap in appearances was enough to start a storm, and each time the leader turned up again.
Why these rumours spread so fast
North Korea is one of the hardest places on earth to report from. There is no free press, access to the leadership is tightly controlled, and official information arrives through a single state channel. When Kim goes quiet for a few days, people fill the silence, and a confident post on X can look like inside knowledge. Add a succession question that has never been formally answered, with a sister, a young daughter and a nuclear arsenal in the mix, and the story practically travels itself.
What happens next
The best evidence of Kim’s condition will be more appearances, ideally ones that can be matched to dates and events outside state media’s control. Satellite imagery, foreign delegations and reporting from Seoul’s intelligence community will all help. Until then, the responsible position is the simple one: the death claims are unproven, the new photos are unverified, and North Korea has not directly addressed the rumours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kim Jong Un dead?
There is no credible evidence that he is. The claims come from social media posts without supporting proof, and North Korean state media has since published photos reporting his appearance at an exhibition.
Who started the Kim Jong Un death rumours?
They gained traction through posts by Wanjun Xie, a US-based Chinese dissident associated with the China Democracy Party.
Has North Korea responded?
Not directly. Authorities have not explicitly addressed the death reports, though the photos were published after they spread.
Is Kim Yo-jong running North Korea?
There is no evidence of that. Her recent warnings to South Korea are in line with her usual role as a senior official and do not point to a transfer of power.
What did South Korea’s spy agency say about Kim’s health?
On September 30, the NIS said Kim weighs over 140 kg and faces a high cardiovascular risk, but showed no significant signs of ill health.
