"Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a verbal message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People's Republic of China, in connection with the fact that China is registering success in preventing the COVID-19 infection."
The North Korean commander-in-chief saluted Xi for “strategically and tactically controlling the overall situation” during the Covid-19 crisis. He also extended his “warm greetings” to the Chinese leader, wishing him “good health.”
KCNA didn’t specify exactly how the “verbal message” was communicated, but news of the contact comes a week after other state media posted a series of photos purportedly showing Kim visiting a fertilizer plant. Last Friday, he was seen smiling while greeting workers and touring the facility located in the South Phyongan province, According to RT report.
It was considered to be Kim’s first public appearance since mid-April, when he skipped two high-profile political events, giving rise to allegations that he was dead or incapacitated after unsuccessful surgery.
While the mainstream media were busy fanning rumors of his death – including those based on defectors’ testimonies – South Korean and US officials were more reserved. Seoul’s intelligence challenged the gossip, while its government at one stage noted that Kim wasn’t suffering from anything but fake news and “infodemic.”
Similarly, US President Donald Trump hinted that he had “a good idea” about Kim’s health, adding: “I do know how he’s doing.” All of this, however, wasn’t enough to entirely dispel the rumors, which are still doing the rounds in some media.
The North Korean commander-in-chief saluted Xi for “strategically and tactically controlling the overall situation” during the Covid-19 crisis. He also extended his “warm greetings” to the Chinese leader, wishing him “good health.”
KCNA didn’t specify exactly how the “verbal message” was communicated, but news of the contact comes a week after other state media posted a series of photos purportedly showing Kim visiting a fertilizer plant. Last Friday, he was seen smiling while greeting workers and touring the facility located in the South Phyongan province, According to RT report.
It was considered to be Kim’s first public appearance since mid-April, when he skipped two high-profile political events, giving rise to allegations that he was dead or incapacitated after unsuccessful surgery.
While the mainstream media were busy fanning rumors of his death – including those based on defectors’ testimonies – South Korean and US officials were more reserved. Seoul’s intelligence challenged the gossip, while its government at one stage noted that Kim wasn’t suffering from anything but fake news and “infodemic.”
Similarly, US President Donald Trump hinted that he had “a good idea” about Kim’s health, adding: “I do know how he’s doing.” All of this, however, wasn’t enough to entirely dispel the rumors, which are still doing the rounds in some media.
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