Kim Jong Un’s disappearance from the public eye in recent days is raising speculation about his health as well as about who is next in line to run North Korea if anything happens to the 36-year-old leader.
Some experts believe that his sister and close associate Kim Yo Jong is most likely to run the country, since it has been ruled by the Kim family for 70 years.
However, others think a collective leadership is possible, due to NoKo’s deeply patriarchal society. Some fear that such a scenario could eventually plunge North Korea into deeper political chaos.
Japanese media claim that Kim Jong Un is in a vegetative state following complications from heart surgery late last week.
South Korean Foreign Policy Adviser Chung-in Moon said Sunday that the North Korean leader is “alive and well” and has reportedly been living in the Wonsan area of the country for the past two weeks. He adds, “No suspicious movements have so far been detected.”