Is Kim Jong-Un dead?: a thread

Kim Jong-Un is the third supreme leader of North Korea. He took power in 2011 at the age of 27, making him one of the youngest world leaders at the time. He is the illegitimate son of NK's second ruler, Kim Jong-Il

KJU has never been a healthy dude. As WaPo reporter @annafifield reporter in her biography of the ruler, experts estimate that he is 300+ lbs, 5'7'', a heavy smoker with a BMI of 45. He disappeared for several weeks in 2014 due to unknown health issues, returning with a limp

The world first caught wind that something might be up when KJU missed the birthday celebration of his grandfather Kim Il-Sung, the founder of NK, on April 15. This is the single biggest holiday in the NK calendar, and his absence was noteworthy.

Could he be dead? The allegation is that he was undergoing a cardiovascular procedure that went awry and he became unresponsive, potentially dead. Healthcare in NK is not great even for the wealthiest, and it surprises me that this procedure took place in NK.

My speculation is that if this procedure took place in NK, perhaps it normally would have been done in another country, like China, if not for the pandemic. That is solely my speculation.

Anyway, the reports initially surfaced a few days ago from a single US intelligence source with knowledge of the intel. So far, Japanese and SK sources have not been able to confirm this, but that doesn't mean there is nothing there. NK is INCREDIBLY hard to get intel on.

The fact that Reuters reported that the CCP sent doctors to NK to consult on KJU's condition today implies that perhaps there is some meat to these rumors. Also the fact that Trump has denied rumors/refused to comment. Still doesn't confirm anything though.

IF he were deceased, the only obvious heir is his sister, known girl boss Kim Yo-Jong. NK is a pretty sexist society, so a female ruler would be a stretch, but then again...so was the illegitimate 27 year old son of Kim Jong-il.

However, it did take a lot of politicking on the behalf of Kim Jong il for KJU to be seen as legitimate by the NK elites, and I don't know that the same has been done for Kim Yo-Jong. That being said, in NK mythology, the Kims are gods, implying that all rulers must be Kims.

Regardless, I would be surprised if we got confirmation of his death before the NK ruling class had some notion of who a successor might be. And that is, of course, IF he is dead.

This story is developing pretty quickly despite the lack of information, so don't be surprised if this thread is completely inaccurate several hours/days from now (in which case I will delete!). This is just my analysis as an undergrad with experience researching NK.

For more info about NK, I would highly recommend following Anna Fifield, @junghpak1 , @NCNKorea , @koreasociety and @KoreanLegal_CLS