Speculation continues into health of Kim Jong-un

Speculation continues into the health of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, although South Korean officials have dismissed such reports.

The New York Post today, quoting a Japanese magazine and Reuters news agency, reported the North Korean leader is currently in a "vegetative state" after undergoing heart surgery. 

The Post noted that North Korean media has not mentioned Kim’s health or whereabouts, even though reports by other media have sparked international speculation about his well-being.

However, quoting the Japanese magazine, Shukan Gendai, the Post said a Chinese expert reported that Kim, believed to be 36, clutched his chest and fell to the ground on a visit to the countryside earlier this month. A doctor accompanying Kim performed CPR and took him to a nearby hospital.

A stent procedure, which involves placing a tube into a congested blood vessel to allow blood to keep flowing to the heart, was believed to have been performed.

The hashtag #KimJongUndead has been trending on Twitter, but without any proof of the leader’s death, the Post reported.

Earlier this week CNN International also reported that "the US is monitoring intelligence that suggests North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, is in grave danger."

The media house said officials say concerns about Kim's health are credible, but the severity has been difficult to assess.

It quoted US National Security Adviser, Robert O'Brien, as saying that the US is "keeping a close eye" on reports about Kim's health.

On Tuesday, however, the BBC reported that South Korean officials had denied reports about the North Korean leader's reported health.  

It reported that the presidential office in Seoul had also said there had been no particular signs from the North to indicate the 36-year-old is "gravely ill".

That BBC indicated that it is also not the first time that rumours about Kim’s health have led to a flurry of speculation that were later dismissed.

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