Did Kim Jong-un die?

Claims circulating on social media about North Korea leader Kim Jong-un's health condition have entered the international agenda. In a story published by the British newspaper The Sun on 19 October, it was reported that Kim had suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, fallen into a coma, and was allegedly taken to China for treatment.

Some social media posts claimed that Kim Jong-un had died, that a leadership crisis could unfold in North Korea, and that China had sent troops to the country. However, no independent evidence has substantiated these claims.

The claim that he was receiving treatment in China was not confirmed.

Posts on social media alleged that Kim Jong-un was being treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. However, no confirmation has come from Chinese or North Korean authorities that he was taken to the hospital.

It was noted that social media posts by Wanjun Xie, known as the chairman of the China Democratic Party, also helped spread the allegations. Xie claimed that Kim died after falling into a coma. Nevertheless, the claims of death, troop deployment, and a leadership change were not verified by independent sources.

North Korea posted a photo.

According to information released by North Korean state media, Kim Jong-un was seen at the opening of the National Defense Revolution Museum in Pyongyang on October 11, alongside his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae. The photographs published by KCNA on October 13 were also reported by Reuters and South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Finally, North Korea's release of a new photograph of Kim Jong-un entered the news following rumors circulating on social media.

Kim Jong-un's health had also been the subject of similar rumors in the past. In particular, after he was absent from public view for a period in 2020, claims of death and coma surfaced, but the leader was later seen again.