SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his first public appearance since there was speculation about his health last month, cutting the ribbon at the opening of a fertilizer factory, the state news agency said. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim "attended the ceremony" on Friday and that "all the participants were 'Harre!' The report states that he inspected the facility and gave information about production processes.
Kim said "with a deep sense" that her grandfather Kim Il-sung and father Kim Jong-il would be very happy if they heard the news that a modern phosphate fertilizer factory had been built. The KCNA report could not be independently verified. Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over the Workers Party Politburo meeting on April 11, and the next day state media reported him to inspect the fighter jet at the air defense unit. Estimates on his health had risen since his show celebrated on April 15 for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung - the founder of the North - the most important day in the country's political calendar. A top security adviser to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said less than a week ago that Kim was "alive and well", dismissing rumors that the young dictator was ill or incompetent. Moon Chung-in's advisor told CNN that Kim had been living in Wonson - a resort town east of North Korea - since April 13. "No suspicious activity has been detected so far," he said. Daily NK, an online media outlet run mostly by North Korean convicts, has reported that Kim was undergoing treatment after a cardiovascular procedure last month. Citing an unnamed source inside the country, said Kim, who is in her mid-30s, needed immediate treatment due to heavy smoking, obesity and fatigue. Shortly thereafter, CNN reported that Washington was conducting "intelligence surveillance" that Kim was in "grave danger" after the surgery, noting that it was an unidentified US official. US President Donald Trump appeared to confirm that Kim was alive earlier this week. Trump declined to comment on Friday on the re-emergence of Kim's report. People's previous absence from Kim has led to speculation about his health. The answer is highly secretive, and is about double its leadership. Kim's father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, was dead two days earlier than anyone outside the innermost circles of the North Korean leadership was sensible. In 2014, Kim Jong-un went out of sight for about six weeks before reappearing with a cane. A few days later, the South's espionage agency said he underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle.
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