Unconfirmed online rumours claim Kim Jong Un is in a coma after brain haemorrhage

Unconfirmed claims spread online

Social media posts claim North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in a coma after a brain haemorrhage and has been taken out of the country for urgent treatment. The claims were first posted on X by Wanjun Xie, who heads a Chinese democratic party of the diaspora, according to reports that repeated them. The posts say he was taken to the Peking Union Medical College hospital in Beijing because medical facilities in Pyongyang are inadequate. Some posts go further and claim he died in hospital, and that China sent 9,000 soldiers to Pyongyang to secure a smooth succession for his daughter, though none of these claims has been verified. The Sun's account rests on unverified online discussions, the paper said.

What is known about his public activity

The most recent public appearance cited by The Sun was on 11 October, when Kim reportedly visited a defence museum at an unspecified location in Pyongyang. State media also reportedly showed him at an event on 10 October marking the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, accompanied by his family. Official photos from the 11 October museum visit show his wife and daughter with him. South Korea's National Intelligence Service has reportedly said it has not detected any signs of concern about his health. On 19 October, state media carried statements from his sister, Kim Yo-jong, on tensions along the border, which shows that routine official communication was continuing.

Analyst expects proof of life

Benedict Rogers, a North Korea analyst, told The Sun's From The Newsroom channel that he expects the regime to release evidence that Kim is well. He noted that rumours of Kim's death have circulated before and said the leader does not look healthy and is extremely overweight. Rogers said that when a supreme leader dies in North Korea, the state usually stages an orchestrated display of public mourning, with people in the streets and newsreaders visibly emotional, and that nothing of the kind has been seen so far. If Kim were alive, he argued, the regime would have to publish some proof that he is still living.

Succession and the 2020 precedent

In 2020, a similar wave of rumours spread after Kim had been out of public view for several months, and a former diplomat claimed he was in a coma and that power would pass to his sister. Kim Yo-jong, 38, is described by analysts as the person who would take the lead as interim ruler if he died. She already holds considerable influence in the nuclear-armed state and is reported to be even more ruthless than her brother, shaped by the hardline advisers of their father, Kim Jong Il. Attention has also turned to Kim's 13-year-old daughter, who is reported to be the likely eventual successor once she is old enough to lead, and who has appeared beside him at several high-profile events.

Official silence

Neither North Korean nor Chinese authorities have confirmed the transfer, the diagnosis or the reported coma. Coverage found no public evidence supporting the transfer, the diagnosis or the coma. The 2020 episode ended when Kim reappeared in public, which helped rebut the rumours at that time. Whether the state publishes proof of life in the coming days remains open.