Kim Jong-un is in a coma, according to The Sun: what is known about his health?

Rumors circulating that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suffered a stroke have sparked new speculation and diplomatic tensions, according to The Sun. North Korea has released photos intended to refute these claims. A new wave of speculation and diplomatic tensions erupted on Monday, October 19, following reports suggesting a serious decline in the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued a statement regarding nuclear weapons: “The tyranny of international bullies.” According to information initially published by The Sun, the leader reportedly suffered a stroke late Sunday, October 18, and is currently in a coma after being urgently transferred to a medical facility in Beijing, China. Reports of his alleged poor health spread rapidly through social media and global news portals, recalling that the last officially confirmed public appearance of Kim Jong-un was on October 11, 2026, when he toured defense museum facilities in Pyongyang with his daughter, Kim Ju-ae. To date, neither the government of North Korea nor Chinese authorities have issued official statements confirming or categorically denying the information disseminated by the tabloid press. Strategic media containment and previous speculation In response to the rapid spread of reports about the dictator's condition, North Korean official media launched a strategy to counter the narrative. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a series of photographs reproduced by the South Korean agency Yonhap, showing Kim Jong-un alongside his daughter inspecting stands at the National Exhibition of Clothing and Footwear 2026 in Pyongyang. The images of the North Korean leader with his daughter were allegedly taken on the day of the supposed incident, according to KCNA. Military intelligence experts suggest that the hurried release of this photographic material aims directly to dispel rumors about his physical condition, asserting that the captures correspond precisely to activities carried out hours before the medical emergency was reported. International analysts recall that similar speculation about the death or serious illness of Kim Jong-un has previously turned out to be false. Geopolitical analysts emphasize the need for cautious reporting, considering that in previous instances, such as the rumors stirred in 2020, the reports about his death or coma proved baseless and later denied by his public reappearances. Kim Jong-un, 42 years old, weighs more than 140 kilograms according to South Korean intelligence. His health has been the subject of rumors for years. According to reports cited by the British newspaper, Kim would have been transferred urgently to a hospital in Beijing due to the presumed inadequacy of medical facilities in Pyongyang. His last public appearance was on October 11, when he visited a defense museum in Pyongyang. Neither the North Korean regime nor the Chinese government have confirmed his transfer to China. Benedict Rogers, a North Korea analyst, recalled that this is not the first time such rumors have circulated. “There have been rumors of his death before. He doesn’t seem healthy, he has extreme obesity,” he told The Sun. For Rogers, the signal to observe is the reaction of the regime itself. “What has happened in the past when the supreme leader dies is that there is an orchestrated display of public grief. People are in the streets crying and mourning. News anchors sound very emotional. We haven't seen anything like that yet. Either that will happen or, if he is still alive, they will publish some proof that he is still alive,” he added. This is not the first time speculation has arisen about the health status of the North Korean leader. The clearest precedent is from 2020, when Kim disappeared from public life for months and was even believed dead on social networks. During that episode, an ex-diplomat claimed he was in a coma and on the verge of handing over power to his sister, Kim Yo-jong. However, the leader reappeared afterward. What is the state of Kim Jong-un’s health? According to the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), he weighs more than 140 kilograms with a height of 1.70 meters, putting him at serious risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is compounded by the fact that he is a heavy smoker, just like his father, Kim Jong-il, and grandfather, Kim Il-sung. The same South Korean intelligence agency reported in July 2024, through two legislators, that Kim showed signs of hypertension and diabetes since he was barely over 30 years old, and that officials within the regime sought foreign medications to treat him. The NIS attributed these problems to stress, smoking, and alcohol. Three years earlier, Kim had lost around 20 kilograms, although he later regained them. To make these estimates, the intelligence service has used artificial intelligence tools and forensic video analysis. His absences have also fueled suspicions. In 2014, he disappeared for six weeks and reappeared supported by a cane, and Seoul claimed that a foreign doctor had removed a cyst from his ankle. Who would be his successor? Kim Yo-jong, 38 years old and with great influence within the regime, would assume interim leadership if her brother died, according to analysts. On the same Monday, she warned that Pyongyang is evaluating deploying more tactical weapons near the border with South Korea. If she came to power, she would be the first woman to govern North Korea. Long-term succession points to Kim Ju-ae, the 13-year-old daughter of the leader, who has accompanied him at official events since 2022 and is indicated by South Korean intelligence as his heir, though not officially designated. North Korea has released images as an apparent "proof of life" of its leader, Kim Jong-un, 42 years old, following rumors of his supposed death due to a cerebral hemorrhage. The images were provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the official North Korean media outlet, which appears to be an attempt to silence the versions about the supposed death of the leader. However, the photographs have not been independently verified, so it has not been possible to confirm when they were taken or rule out that they were generated or altered using artificial intelligence. In the records, Kim Jong-un is observed during a visit to the National Exhibition of Clothing and Footwear 2026, an activity he supposedly attended on Monday. In the images, the North Korean leader is seen reviewing women's clothing and footwear, as well as observing and touching children's coats and shoes. He is also seen accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae. The origin of the rumors about his death The versions about the supposed death of Kim Jong-un emerged on Sunday following a series of posts made on X by Wanjun Xie, a Chinese dissident living in the United States. The rumors were also picked up by the British newspaper The Sun, which reported on the versions of a cerebral hemorrhage and a supposed coma of the North Korean leader. In his posts, Xie claimed that Kim Jong-un would have suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage, which would have required medical assistance from China. According to his account, the health complications would have led him subsequently into a coma. According to the publications by someone presenting himself as president of the Democratic Party of China (DPC), a team of specialists from the Beijing Union Medical Hospital would have traveled to North Korea to attend the leader. However, given the supposed severity of his condition, Kim Jong-un would have been transferred to Beijing, where he would have entered a coma and subsequently died, according to the dissident's assertions. Xie also claimed that the presumed death of the North Korean leader would have caused an internal crisis in the country. He even stated that China would have sent approximately 9,000 soldiers to Pyongyang to facilitate a potential transition of power to Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of Kim Jong-un.