Report: Kim Jong Un in ‘grave danger’ after surgery

CNN Newsource and Associated Press

5 years ago

FILE - In this Monday, March 2, 2020, file photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a military drill at undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korea has fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea, South Korea said Sunday, March 29, 2020. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

(CNN/AP) — Intelligence reports suggest North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has been hospitalized following an unspecified surgery.

A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the report tells CNN he is in “grave danger.” Kim was notably absent from a celebration of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15.

He has not been seen since April 11, when he attended a government meeting.

Details of his condition have not yet been confirmed by U.S. or South Korean officials.

The Associated Press reports that South Korea is looking into the matter.

Officials from South Korea’s Unification Ministry and National Intelligence Service said they couldn’t immediately confirm the report.

The Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, said it couldn’t confirm another report by Daily NK, which cited anonymous sources to report that Kim was recovering from heart surgery in the capital Pyongyang and that his condition was improving.

LATEST HEADLINES: