Kim Jong Un was reported to be in a coma; in response, the DPRK published photos of him

After reports emerged that Kim Jong Un was in a coma, the DPRK responded by releasing photos of him

On October 19, the British tabloid The Sun, the American New York Post, and India's Economic Times reported that Kim had fallen into a coma. Citing "social media users," they claimed that the DPRK leader was in a coma following a cerebral hemorrhage and had been admitted to a hospital in Beijing.

The DPRK did not comment on these reports, but on October 20, the Korean Central News Agency published a report stating that Kim had visited a clothing and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang with his family. It was noted that this event took place the day before.

A post on the X social network by Wangjun Tse, a prominent Chinese dissident living in the US, was the main source of the rumors. In his initial post, Tse claimed that Kim had died despite being hospitalized in China.

South Korean diplomats and intelligence sources stated that they had "heard no information" confirming the claims that Kim Jong Un was in a coma.

In September, South Korean intelligence presented a report to parliament stating that Kim suffers from severe obesity: standing 170 centimeters tall, he weighs 140 kilograms. At the same time, according to intelligence estimates, "taking into account the close monitoring by his team of attending physicians," there are no signs indicating serious health problems for the DPRK leader.

DPRK officials have never reported on Kim's health.