Minister says North Korea's media reports suggest Kim executes state affairs normally

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul speaks during a meeting at National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

North Korean state media have continued reports on leader Kim Jong-un's work in an indication that he is handling state affairs normally, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Tuesday, amid persisting speculation about the leader's health.

Kim Jong-un has stayed out of public view for about two weeks since he was last seen in a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on April 11, but North Korean media outlets have reported on his daily routine schedule, according to the minister.

"North Korean media outlets have put out reports related to Chairman Kim's work since his attendance of a politburo meeting, suggesting that he has been carrying out state affairs in a normal way," he told lawmakers.

North Korean state media have recently carried reports on Kim's schedule, such as sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts to honored citizens, but they have not provided information on Kim's whereabouts or health conditions.

The official Korean Central News Agency said late Monday that Kim sent a congratulatory telegram message to the South Africa president in the latest report on the leader's management of state affairs.

Speculation about Kim's health has spread since he apparently skipped an annual visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the April 15 birthday of the late founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung.

Unconfirmed media reports have since speculated that Kim might be "in grave danger" after surgery, but South Korean officials have repeatedly disputed these claims, saying no unusual signs have been detected from North Korea.

Some said that Kim appears to be staying in the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. U.S monitoring website 38 North earlier reported that commercial satellite imagery showed a train probably belonging to Kim was spotted in the region since at least April 21. (Yonhap)

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