Trump is pleased that Kim Jong-un has reappeared.
Trump wrote on Twitter that he was pleased to hear that Kim Jong-un had reappeared after a 20-day absence.
"I'm glad to see him back and healthy," US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on May 2 (morning of May 3 Hanoi time), quoting a post by a political science expert about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cutting the ribbon at the Sunchon fertilizer factory in northern Pyongyang on May 1.
Earlier, Trump stated at a White House press conference that he "had no comment on this matter" when asked about reports of Kim Jong-un's reappearance, asserting that he "would talk about it at the appropriate time."
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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reappeared after nearly three weeks of absence. |
North Korean state news agency KCNA reported yesterday that Kim Jong-un, along with his sister Kim Yo-jong and other high-ranking officials, attended the inauguration ceremony of the Suchon fertilizer factory on International Labor Day. Kim Jong-un toured the factory, smiling and smoking a cigarette. This was Kim Jong-un's first public appearance after nearly three weeks of absence.
Rumors about Kim Jong-un's health arose after he was absent from the April 15th celebration of the birthday of the late leader Kim Il-sung. North Korea calls this the Day of the Sun and considers it an important national holiday.
South Korea said on April 26 that Kim Jong-un "is alive and well" and that he has been in Wonsan, a resort town in eastern North Korea, since April 13. Some experts say Covid-19 may be the reason Kim Jong-un has been limiting his public appearances.
Kim Jong-un's absence drew global attention amid stalled US-North Korea nuclear negotiations, despite the North Korean leader having met with Trump three times. The US president had previously called the North Korean leader a "friend" and expressed hope that a good relationship between the two would help break the deadlock in the denuclearization talks.
North Korean leaders have been absent for extended periods on several occasions. In 2014, Kim Jong-un was absent for 40 days and did not attend the celebration of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea. He reappeared on October 14, 2014, using a cane and inspecting a new housing complex. South Korean intelligence suggested he may have undergone surgery to remove a tumor on his ankle.
