Trump: “I’m glad that Kim Jong-un has reappeared and that he is in good health”
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was “happy” with the public appearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his vision of “good health”.
“I am personally happy to see him come back” and “in good health,” Trump wrote on Twitter, after the official North Korean media published photos of Kim, whose absence over weeks had sparked speculation about his health.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to complete the construction of a fertilizer plant in the north of the capital, Pyongyang, in the first report on his public activity since April 11, North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA, said after weeks of intense speculation about his health.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
The agency reported that Kim cut the opening tape during a ceremony on Friday and that those who attended “exploded in thunderous chants” to welcome the supreme leader “who leads the general march of all people in order to achieve the great prosperity”.
Kim appeared in pictures, smiling and speaking to his advisers during the opening ceremony, and also on a tour of the factory.
It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the photos, which were published by the official newspaper of Rodong Sinmun.
The United States strongly believes that Kim is alive, according to a US government source familiar with intelligence reports, but was unable to confirm that Kim’s photos were taken during Friday’s event or explain why he had not been seen for weeks.
