The North Korean supreme leader has frequently become absent from the public eye this year, which has led many to speculate that he may have already been dead for quite some time.
Talks between the US and North Korea
Amid the claims, Kim Jong-Un's sister Kim Yo-Jong has shared her concerns that the US summit might likely not continue due to only giving the United States the advantage, as reported by Express UK.
The controversial announcement that North Korea may not join the summit re-ignited the rumors that tell worrying details of the supreme leader's health and condition, which have become viral earlier this year.
One user posted on Twitter asking for confirmation if Kim was actually dead, and another shared similar confusion on the leader's health.
Previously, the state-run media NK News reported Kim was away from public view from June 8 until he appeared on July 2 at a government meeting that aimed to discuss the coronavirus status of the nation.
In early May, the supreme leader was not seen for nearly three weeks before showing up in public to attend the opening of a fertilizer factory.
At the time that Kim was missing, observers spread claims that the leader's health deteriorated rapidly. The North Korean leader has since debunked the claims by appearing to the public in apparent good health.
With the continuous spread of death rumors surrounding Kim, he was seen yesterday visiting the memorial site of his grandfather to commemorate his 26th death anniversary, as reported by The Sun UK.
The event was joined by top North Korean officials Choe Ryong Hae, Pak Pong Ju, Kim Jae Ryong, and several others that the state media reports were making their way towards the statue of Kim Il Sung.
Historically, no supreme leader has failed to attend the anniversary as the late dictator is considered to be North Korea's "eternal president" even after being dead for more than two decades since 1994.
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Constant disappearance
The past three months have seen the constant disappearance of the supreme leader before the commemoration and has resulted in numerous concerns for his well-being or if he is still alive.
The first time Kim went missing, claims quickly went viral, stating he died during a failed heart surgery.
Again, Kim disappeared for 20 days before resurfacing on May 1 at the newly opened fertilizer factory and quickly vanished afterward.
On May 24, after a second three-week vanishing act, the supreme leader was once again seen by the public as he discussed his plans of placing his nuclear forces on "high alert." He has since been in the since and has not made any reappearances for more than three weeks.
According to CNBC, the supreme leader's sister, on the other hand, Kim Yo Jong, has stated that it was unlikely that North Korea would join another summit that she said would only be beneficial to the United States. Yo Jong also revealed the country had no intention of threatening America.
Yo Jong noted a summit that involves the US and North Korea would be unlikely but that there was still the possibility of a surprise, reports KCNA on Friday.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, expressed his hopes that negotiations would continue between North Korea and the US to agree about denuclearization and opened the potential for both countries' leaders to meet once again.
