If you have been following news recently out of the Korean Peninsula, you may have seen a report that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was gravely ill. He had, according to this report, undergone heart surgery and was fighting for his life. The thing is, we have no way of knowing whether or not this is true.

Patricia Kim joins me to discuss the significance of the rumor about Kim Jong Un's ill-health. She is the senior policy analyst with the China program at US Institute of Peace. We also analyze what we know about North Korea's experience with COVID-19, and what lies ahead for nuclear diplomacy between the United States, North Korea, South Korea, and China.

The bonus episode for premium subscribers this week is a conversation with Richard Haas, the longtime head of the Council on Foreign relations.

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