North Koreans are ‘secretly elated’ Kim Jong-un may be dead and ‘ruling elite have stopped trying to silence rumours’
NORTH Koreans are "secretly elated" Kim Jong-un might be dead as he remains missing after last being seen 20 days ago - but authorities appear to have stopped trying to quell the rumours.
Kim's people have suffered greatly under his rule as crushing sanctions pile on top of the country's already fragile economy, leading to widespread poverty and malnutrition.
Reports of Kim's demise or ill-health are said to be gaining momentum within North Korea's borders despite the regime's normally strict control on information.
“There are quite a few people who are secretly elated at the rumours," an insider told South Korean news outlet .
"So many North Koreans are suffering from malnutrition that it’s unlikely that there are many who feel overly concerned about Kim Jong-un’s health."
Kim's has not been seen in public since April 11 - with the three theories being that he is dead, gravely ill, or hiding out in the seaside resort of Wonsan.
The source said: “There are even people who say they saw the video claiming Kim had died.
Meanwhile, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said US intelligence "hasn't seen him" - and warned the country is on the brink of a devastating famine.
North Korea previously suffered a famine from 1994 to 1998 that killed up to 3.5million people.
Despite this however, Kim is still given godlike reverence by many due to the cult of personality around his family which is designed to control the minds of their citizens.
Kim's regime normally attempts to quell undesirable chatter with measures such as re-education lectures or a brutal crackdown.
North Korean authorities have however not yet taken up these measures.
The source said: "That’s really strange. In usual circumstances, if such whispers continued it would invoke a threat of punishment."
The video in question boasting of Kim's death is believed to have entered the secretive state from China.
The five-minute video claims Kim dropped dead during an inspection on April 25, and that his sister Kim Yo-jong is now the supreme leader.
Meanwhile, even the Pyongyang elite reportedly do not whether or not Kim is dead or alive.
According to sources, North Korea's wealthier residents are increasingly concerned the dictator is suffering from potentially deadly heart problems.
US President Donald Trump said he hopes "everything will be fine" with Kim - adding he understands the "situation very well" but cannot discuss it as he hinted Kim may be unwell.
South Korean officials have said they have detected no signs of unusual activity in North Korea - insisting Kim is "safe and well".
Seoul's intelligence suggested that the dictator is in Wonsan hiding out from the coronavirus - despite Pyongyang insisting it has zero cases.
North Korean state media has run at least two pieces reporting Kim's activities - but no new pictures.
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The 36-year-old dictator is known to have a slew of health problems, and reportedly underwent heart surgery on April 12.
Various reports have stated this surgery may have been botched, leaving him dead, in a vegetative state, or gravely ill.
Meanwhile, retired US army general Jack Keane said this week that he thought the White House knows more about Kim's health than its admitting.
General Keane, who previously served as Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, said figures within the regime were trying to conceal something "fundamentally wrong" with him.