Is Kim Jong-un in a Coma? What We Know About the Rumours

Claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suffered a brain haemorrhage, fell into a coma and was secretly taken to China for treatment are spreading on social media and in the British tabloid The Sun. There is no reliable confirmation: neither Pyongyang nor Beijing has commented.

What the rumours say

According to the version reported by The Sun, Kim was allegedly transferred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. Some social media posts go further and claim he has died, but no evidence has been offered for any of these claims. They trace back to anonymous posts, not official statements or verifiable accounts.

What is actually known

• Kim was last shown in public on October 11, during a visit to a defence museum in Pyongyang. North Korean state media published images of the visit on October 13.
• On September 30, South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that Kim weighs about 140 kg but has no notable health problems.
• Neither North Korea nor China has confirmed any hospitalisation.

Why caution is warranted

A similar story spread in 2020, when Kim's long absence from public view led to rumours that he had died or was in a coma. He later reappeared in public and the claims proved false. North Korea analyst Benedict Rogers notes that if the leader had died, the authorities would typically stage public mourning, and no such scenes have been reported.

What happens next

North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world, and information about its leader's health is almost never released officially. Clarity usually comes when state media show new footage of Kim or issue an official statement. We will update this article if confirmed information emerges.

Sources: Geo News, IBTimes, The Sunday Guardian. Photo: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0