VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The issue of the death of Kim Jong-un - North Korea's Leader, has been revealed. After rumours about his illness and death in early April and three weeks absence, the North Korean Leader appeared to inaugurate a factory. Speculation about Kim's whereabouts and health condition peaked when he did not attend the anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, who was the founder of North Korea. Moreover,  the North Korean Leader was again not seen  when he was to receive a World War II medal from Russian President, Vladimir Putin. The award was given because Kim preserved the memory of Soviet soldiers killed in North Korea, according to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

The world indeed often speculates about the condition and existence of the North Korean Leader. This is certainly inseparable from North Korea's bargaining position in terms of world nuclear weapons control. Kim's disappearance from the public occurred when Pyongyang's talks with Washington regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons came to a halt, after three meetings between Leader Kim Jong-un and US President, Donald Trump. If Kim is unable to continue the talk  or even dies first, it will increase uncertainty in this negotiation process. Naturally, the international world then highlighted the absence  of Kim Jong-un with various speculations.

For North Korea itself, the absence of Kim Jong-un is also influential,  because this supreme leader’s authority includes the ruling Labour Party and also the military. All major decisions require his approval. The absence of Kim Jong-un means the vacuum in some positions of North Korean life, not to mention the emergence of a new issue about the construction of one more nuclear reactor on the North Korean peninsula.

The world is indeed in the midst of uncertainty, whether it concerns nuclear weapons, conflicts in various regions, or the current hot issue, the Corona pandemic (Covid-19). The existence and condition of Kim Jong-un's health completes this uncertainty.