South Korean minister: North Korean leader may be staying out of spotlight over coronavirus concerns

A South Korean minister said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be avoiding the public spotlight due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul suggested that Kim’s unprecedented absence from an April 15 ceremony celebrating his late grandfather Kim II Sung’s birthday is not especially surprising. 

“It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung’s birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been canceled because of coronavirus concerns,” the minister told a parliamentary hearing, according to Reuters. 

“I don’t think that’s particularly unusual given the current [coronavirus] situation,” he reportedly added. 

The South Korean minister also noted there were at least two instances since mid-January during which there were no sightings of Kim for nearly 20 days, according to Reuters. 

Speculation over Kim’s health has intensified since he was last seen in public on April 11. 

Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN on Sunday that Kim is “alive and well.” 

The secretive North Korea has not reported any cases of COVID-19, which has infected more than 3 million people globally, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.