Kim Jong-il’s Personal Danger Possible after One Month of No News

As there have been no news of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s whereabouts in the last month, an opinion has been raised that a negative occurrence has affected the upper class group of North Korea, Japanese Radio Press, a North Korean new listening organization said.

Kim has not appeared in official meetings since he attended a formal military inspection for the 55th North Korean government establishment anniversary on September 9.

Discontinuance of movement news is not unprecedented as Kim had previously disappeared in official meetings for 50 days at the beginning of this year, but there are a few other conditions supporting a rumor about accidents within the upper classes the Radio Press said.

Sergei Darkin, a governor of Maritime Provinces Russia, who was visited by Kim and also visited North Korea at the beginning of this month, could not meet him. A planned visit by Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress was suddenly delayed at the North’s request. The news that Kim’s wife Ko Yeun-hee is in a serious condition also supports the rumor about a possible accident, Nihongeiga newspaper analyzed.

There is a possibility that Kim and/or his relatives may have faced personal danger, the Radio Press said. The unification ministry rejected the rumor. Russia Itartas reported Wu’s visit on September 20 and an ‘invitation by Kim’ was the expression of the governor of Maritime Provinces, but it is not clear whether that was actually an invitation for a meeting with Kim.

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