SEOUL, South Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang, state media said Saturday, ending an absence that had triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill.
The North鈥檚 official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended the ceremony Friday in Sunchon with other senior officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.
The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published several photos of Kim wearing black and smiling as he looked around the factory and cut a red ribbon.
The KCNA said workers broke into 鈥渢hunderous cheers鈥� for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of 鈥渉ead wind鈥� by 鈥渉ostile forces,鈥� a clear reference to US-led sanctions over the North鈥檚 nuclear ambitions.
The agency said Kim warmly acknowledged the workers and said his late father and grandfather 鈥渨ould be greatly pleased鈥� the factory was completed. The report didn鈥檛 mention any direct comment toward Washington or Seoul.
US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, declined to comment about Kim鈥檚 reappearance but said he would 鈥渉ave something to say about it at the appropriate time.鈥�
It was Kim鈥檚 first public appearance since April 11, when he presided over a ruling Workers鈥� Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus and reappoint his sister as an alternate member of the powerful decision-making political bureau of the party鈥檚 central committee. That move confirmed her substantial role in the government.
Speculation about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 birthday celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country鈥檚 most important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
Without publishing images, state media reported he was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
South Korea鈥檚 government, which has a mixed record of tracking Pyongyang鈥檚 ruling elite, repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
The office of President Moon Jae-in said it detected no unusual signs in North Korea or any emergency reaction by its ruling party, military and cabinet. Seoul said it believed Kim was still managing state affairs but staying at an unspecified location outside Pyongyang.
The possibly of high-level instability raised troubling questions about the future of the secretive, nuclear-armed state that has been steadily building an arsenal meant to threaten the US mainland while diplomacy between Kim and Trump has stalled.
Following an unusually provocative run in missile and nuclear tests in 2017, Kim used the Winter Olympics in South Korea to initiate diplomacy with Washington and Seoul in 2018.
That led to a surprising series of summits, including three between Kim and Trump, as Kim pursued diplomacy in hopes of ending crippling economic sanctions and obtaining security guarantees.
But negotiations have faltered in past months over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps, which raised doubts about whether Kim would ever fully deal away an arsenal he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
Kim entered 2020 vowing to build up his nuclear arsenal and achieve a breakthrough against sanctions while urging his nation to stay resilient in a struggle for economic 鈥渟elf-reliance.鈥� Some experts say the North鈥檚 self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis could potentially hamper his ability to mobilize people for labor.
It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear what caused Kim鈥檚 absence in past weeks. In 2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea鈥檚 spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
Analysts say his health could become an increasing factor in years ahead: he鈥檚 overweight, smokes and drinks, and has a family history of heart issues.
If he鈥檚 suddenly unable to rule, some analysts said his sister would be installed as leader to continue Pyongyang鈥檚 heredity dynasty that began after World War II.
But others question whether core members of North Korea鈥檚 elite, mostly men in their 60s or 70s, would find it hard to accept a young and untested female leader who lacks military credentials. Some predict a collective leadership or violent power struggles.
Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for instability that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. That could include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons.