Mystery Grows Over Kim Jong-Un Missing As North Korea Flies 12 Warplanes Near South Korea

Kim Jong-Un is reportedly missing from the public eye once again and has not been seen in media propaganda for a month despite the country’s series of nuclear missile tests. The supreme leader who typically oversees his weapons tests personally, with 6 test launches conducted in the last 12 days, has renewed fears about the state of his health.

According to the Mirror, on Wednesday, North Korea fired two short-range missiles toward Japan, just days after they had launched another rocket over Japanese territory. This was seen as the North’s display of force that has raised much condemnation from its rivals. However, the recent ballistic missile test has proven to be different from previous ones. The North Korean leader often oversees anything and everything that has to do with the country’s nuclear arsenal but was strangely absent once again from the recent test launches for more than 3 weeks. About a dozen North Korean military aircraft were seen flying in formation near the Korean Peninsula border on Thursday.

Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean elite, said this was not the first time Kim had vanished from the spotlight. However, speculations have risen over the tyrant’s media disappearance, as this is the longest absence Kim has ever had. Madden added the first lengthy absence by the dictator was in 2014, reappearing for public events with a cane in hand.

The next disappearance was in April 2020, although he may have been avoiding contracting Covid, explained Madden. Current rumors suggest that he may be suffering from health complications as his sister made a public statement that Kim had suffered from a high fever after visiting a region on Sept. 9 that supposedly had a reemergence of Covid.

Reports say that the North Korean leader may be taking a back seat, letting actions speak louder than words, as the country showcases its nuclear capabilities. North Korea, at the moment, has very reliable allies in Russia and China, despite their approvals of the sanctions on North Korea during a UN security council five years ago.

The current unstable relations between the U.S., Russia, and China may prove beneficial for Pyongyang. Rachel Minyoung, an analyst for the CIA said North Korea will likely use the U.S.-China, and U.S.-Russia disputes to its own political and economical advantage. It is believed that North Korea will be using the current chaos as an opportunity to conduct its first nuclear detonation test since 2017.