Where Is Kim Jong Un? North Korean Leader's Whereabouts Even More Confusing After He Disappears From Public Eye Again
So where is he? Is he alive?
Getty There's been a lot of confusion about what, exactly, is going on with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un lately.
He's been largely MIA, and there have been a lot of reports of his death ... all with conflicting information.
Now, people are fearing the worst again after Kim Jong Un hasn't been seen in nearly three weeks and seemingly disappeared from the public eye.
Where is Kim Jong Un?
And what's happening behind the scenes?
There are no clear answers yet, but here's what we do know.
Kim Jon Un was rumored to be dead earlier this year.
Back in April, Chinese media reported that Un had died after undergoing heart surgery, while at the same time, Japanese media was reporting that he was in a "vegetative state."
There was never a clear answer about what was going on with Un and his medical issues but for awhile, rumors persisted that the North Korean dictator may have passed, leaving his sister, Kim Yo-Jong, to step up and take over his duties.
Then, he was spotted at an event — or was It his body double?
On May 1, Un appeared at a May Day event for a ribbon cutting, and he seemed to be in good health and good spirits — contrary to what had been reported about him just days earlier.
However, this also prompted people to speculate that it could be a body double who was sent to the event instead to give the appearance that Un was doing well, thanks to small differences that seemed to have emerged in his appearance when comparing photos from the event to older pictures of Un.
Kim Jong Un had been MIA for weeks after that sighting.
May 1 was the last time Un was seen in public at the time, leading people to wonder what was going on — and why he hadn't been seen.
Given the way that the North Korean media works, there are truly no clear or reliable answers about where he'd been all of that time, but it does seem like there are certain clues about what he's doing next.
Where did Kim Jong Un go? It seemed like he might be in Wonsan.
Yachts had been spotted outside of Un's home in Wonsan, which means he's likely at home (or planning to be at home soon).
Sattelite images have indicated that though there was one large boat parked at the resident, recently, they've switched places, indicating that he has returned ... though there's no way to know for sure, because the dictator himself has yet to be seen.
He reportedly fired two top members of his team.
Korean news has reported that this week, Un has fired not only the head of his security, but also his chief spy, leading to even more questions about what's really going on in North Korea.
So far, a reason for these firings has not been reported, but some speculate that it could be Un's way of preparing for his sister to step up and take a bigger role on his team.
This isn't the only change that he's made, though; there are reportedly renovations going on in Pyongyang that included the removal of portraits of Kim Jong Un's father and grandfather for the first time in 2012.
Un's also reportedly investigating corruption among his government.
On May 9, Un issued a directive that requires the military to increase the punishment for corruption after finding out that soldiers weren't being supplied with enough food.
“The military authorities seem to have become acutely aware that the military is rife with corruption and that there isn’t enough food,” a source said.
“That is why the Supreme Commander declared that the all members of the leadership of military units, including the general staff and members of the political and security-related departments, must fulfill their responsibilities to the fullest.”
Kim Jong Un hasn't been seen in nearly three weeks.
While Kim Jong Un is no stranger to a disappearing act, his latest retreat from the public eye has people worried, especially since his buddy, Donald Trump, lost the 2020 presidential election.
It's a well known fact that Un and Trump have a close relationship, and Un is reportedly upset that Trump didn't get re-elected by the American people. He's even referred to Joe Biden as a "rabid dog" before.
People are worried that Kim Jong Un — who has touted the existence of nuclear missiles that "can reach anywhere in the U.S." — may be plotting something once Biden is sworn into the White House on Jan. 20.
"It is possible Pyongyang will conduct a nuclear or long-range missile test prior to the inauguration or shortly thereafter," Evans Revere of the Council on Foreign Relations said.
"The Biden team will be mindful of the failings of Trump’s approach, which has amounted to turning a blind eye to North Korea’s steady accumulation of nuclear weapons and testing of medium-range missiles," he added.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.