North Korean cadres are spreading rumors that Kim Jong Un, the country's leader, was inoculated against COVID-19 in May.
Kim Jong-Un's Unplanned Disappearance Was Linked to His Vaccination
In a recently published article in Daily NK, the rumors about Kim's unplanned disappearance are very specific. They claim that Kim was inoculated more than three months ago in a home outside Pyongyang. According to other reports, Kim went missing unintentionally due to high fever and nausea after receiving the vaccine.
Between May 6, when he attended an arts performance for military families, and June 4, when he led a Central Committee politburo meeting, Kim made no public appearances. Kim was most certainly vaccinated at the time, according to North Korean officials. There are even reports that around 100 individuals, including high-ranking cadres who met with Kim in person, have been vaccinated.
However, South Korea's intelligence service said that there is no evidence that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, and his nation has not received any foreign vaccines, according to a published report in ABC.
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North Korean Leader Might Not Be the First to Receive the Vaccine
Some speculate that Kim was not the first North Korean to get vaccinated. Given the nature of North Korea's system, which prioritizes the safety of the country's "supreme leader," it's highly probable that officials conducted a test vaccine to see whether there were any negative side effects before giving Kim a dosage.
The Chinese government supplied Sinopharm and other vaccinations to North Korean authorities earlier this year at their request, thus it seems that North Korean trade business executives and foreign ministry cadres were the first to get vaccinated, according to a published report in Business Insider.
Furthermore, unnamed intelligence sources informed Harry Kazianis, senior director of the think tank Center for the National Interest, that many additional high-ranking people inside the Kim family and leadership network were thought to have gotten vaccination from China in the past two or three weeks.
North Korea Hopes to Arrange a Meeting and Dialogue With China
North Korean officials want to organize a meeting between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the second half of the year, according to another source in the country. And, if the circumstances are perfect, the officials think Kim might participate in talks with the U.S. as well.
According to the insider, North Korea has two diplomatic tactics in its arsenal. One is aimed at the United States while the other is aimed at China, and the nation will pursue both tactics depending on the circumstances most especially in this time of economic crisis.
North Korean officials think that if the US develops a friendly environment toward Pyongyang and provides a chance for the North to engage in conversation, Pyongyang will be willing to meet with Washington. However, if such circumstances do not materialize, they think that getting direct assistance from China is not a terrible option.
