A video claiming that Kim Jong Un is dead has started circulating in North Korea amid conflicting reports about the leader's health.
The video clip appears to be broadcasted by Korean Central Television (KCTV) and may have originated from China, a North Pyongan Province-based source revealed to Daily NK on Monday. The video claims the North Korean leader met with a sudden death while carrying out on-the-spot inspections.
Kim Jong Un is dead, claims video circulating in North Korea
The video, which runs about five minutes long, shows the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in the background with the caption "Our Beloved Supreme Leader Comrade Kim Jong Un passed away during on-the-spot guidance."
The clip says the 36-year-old dictator died during a guided field trip on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 AM, and that his sister Kim Yo Jong, the first deputy director of the North Korean communist party's Propaganda and Agitation Department, would succeed him as the next leader of North Korea.
The footage included scenes from a past ceremony commemorating Kim Jong Il's death accompanied by the image of a non-existent article from a pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan.
North Korean officials initiate probe
North Korean authorities have initiated an investigation into the video and have intensified their efforts to where the clip originated from. Officials are trying to identify who leaked the video because they believe it can lead to a "social issue," according to a source.
"The Ministry of State Security and local police offices are keeping a close eye on those making international calls and text messages," the source added. Another source revealed to Daily NK that the video in question has left citizens of North Korea as well as party members "bewildered."
"The authorities have created a special unit from the Organization and Guidance Department, the Public Prosecutors' Office, the MSS and other law enforcement agencies, to identify the leaker," the source continued. "With the investigation intensifying, anyone who's been making calls to China for business reasons has been lying low," he added.
Where has Kim disappeared?
Kim Jong Un has been missing since he presided over a meeting on April 11. Speculation over his health was first fuelled when he missed the celebration of the birthday of his late grandfather, one of the most significant holidays in North Korea.
Since then there has been a frenzy of media reports over his health, with some reports alleging that the leader is dead alongside an image of what appears to be Kim's dead body, some claim he's in a vegetative state following a botched cardiac surgery while others claim he is "alive and well."
Donald Trump also recently added more confusion by stating that he knew about Kim's condition but "couldn't talk about it" and added that the world will hear about it soon. North Korean media continues to report on Kim's activities but has failed to release any photo or video evidence to meaningfully contradict the rumours circulating about his death.
