
In Yonhape breaking news headline as I was typing, SKorean govt says "(rumors are) not true... there are no peculiar movements" ..2/ https://m.yna.co.kr/kr/contents/?cid=AKR20200421086500504
Here's the full Yonhap story saying rumors are wrong..4/ https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200421073800504
. @JessLee_DC took the words right out of my mouth
Thanks for saving my thumbs & alerting some of us! ..5/ https://twitter.com/JessLee_DC/status/1252427823727300608?s=19

South Korean presidential office is now putting its weight behind earlier govt comment that rumors are false, accoriding to Yonhap breaking news
https://m.yna.co.kr/kr/contents/?cid=AKR20200421089300001 ..6/
https://m.yna.co.kr/kr/contents/?cid=AKR20200421089300001 ..6/
Barring sudden changes, I will be speaking on CNN about the latest at 4.30pm Seoul ..7/
That said, sure, it's natural to wonder what if? We won't know til much later. Too many variables about future. He might not have designated a successor & no known son so there'd be much confusion. Can't entirely rule out sister (or wife like Chosun era) as next/acting leader..8/
Why not his sister? She's a woman & not the leader's son, but *IF* she's ever *suddenly* tapped, it could lead to much confusion, but she's Mt Baekdu bloodline so technically legit. Unless they take a page from Chosun dynastic era of his wife acting until child is old enough ..9/
Futuristic Qs about stable transfer of power depends on if KJU has a Day After plan in place. If none + sudden death
power struggle likely among various actors. But he's so far proven to be quite smart.
All this to say, we won't know anything until we do about everything..10/

All this to say, we won't know anything until we do about everything..10/
Yesterday, I cautioned against jumping to conclusions without official confirmation on imminent KJU death speculations & discussed succession complexities on CNN (Part 1 of 2) ..11/
Part 2 of 2 on KJU health rumors and speculative succession scenarios ..12/
Must read. The Kim dynasty's long history of health scares by @JonHerskovitz
@Bloomberg, one of the most well-versed journalists specialized in Asia & long-time Korea/Japan hand since his @Reuters years. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/north-korea-s-kim-dynasty-has-a-long-history-of-health-scares?srnd=politics-vp
..13/
@Bloomberg, one of the most well-versed journalists specialized in Asia & long-time Korea/Japan hand since his @Reuters years. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/north-korea-s-kim-dynasty-has-a-long-history-of-health-scares?srnd=politics-vp
..13/
Closing this thread with a must read by @junghpak1 ..14/14 https://twitter.com/junghpak1/status/1252556281497505797?s=19