North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may have resurfaced in the public eye after an extended and mysterious absence. According to the secretive nation’s state-run media, Kim made his first public appearance since April 11 on Friday, cutting the ribbon at a new fertilizer factory in Sunchon.

The only evidence offered for this event was a series of photos and a video purportedly taken on the day, released by the state news agency on Saturday.

News outlets elsewhere in the world, including the New York Times, have been unable to independently confirm the legitimacy of this supposed appearance.

“When the Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant goes into operation, it will represent a historical development in our country's fertilizer industry,” Kim said at the event, according to the Korean Central News Agency. “It will be a glorious revolution and a splendid display of our nation's great economic potential, and it will be an uplifting banner that assures us of the achievements of our country's general economic frontline.”

In the video, Kim can be seen walking and sitting on stage, accompanied by government officials and his sister, Kim Yo Jong. Kim Yo Jong had been one of the primary names put forward as a potential successor to her brother, as she is considered to be highly regarded within the North Korean government.

The video also showed Kim laughing and occasionally smoking, the latter being one of the causes of his frequent health problems. He is shown to be transported in a golf cart to reach other destinations. Additionally, a security team can be seen near Kim wearing black masks, suggesting that the event occurred during the global outbreak of COVID-19.

Rumors spread during Kim’s absence that he had either died or been left in a vegetative state after a botched heart operation. After initially remaining quiet on the leader’s condition, the country’s state-controlled news outlets have recently attempted to squash these rumors, first with a series of letters reportedly written by Kim and now with these photos and video.

News agencies outside the North have been unable to verify the authenticity of these reports, leaving Kim’s actual state in question.

After weeks of rumours that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seriously ill or even dead, state media published photos showing him in public
After weeks of rumours that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seriously ill or even dead, state media published photos showing him in public KCNA VIA KNS / STR
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