Disappearance of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un Could Ease Path to Peace, Coup or No

Kim Jong-un fell off the public radar for five weeks and has since appeared. Rumors flew back and forth, at least in the South Korean and western media. Kim was absent from anniversary celebrations for the ruling party, and earlier videos show the corpulent young adult walking with difficulty; state media reported he is suffering from “discomfort.” Every official event, including a visit to South Korea by the country’s top military director, was scrutinized for evidence of the leader’s ill health or fractured governance, coup or even death. Paul French, writing for Reuters, suggested one theory: Reducing Kim’s public appearances could be part of a government strategy to reduce tensions and broker better relations with other nations – “a shift from the traditional policy of the all-powerful, all-guiding ‘Suryong Dominant Party-State System,’ whereby the supreme leader directly rules over the party, the government, and the military, to something more consensual among the elite.” In truth, outsiders can only guess about the workings of the isolated and troubled state. – YaleGlobal