“Every day that goes by that we don’t have news on Kim Jong-un has to be a day closer to a big announcement.”
— Paul French

Location: Zoom
Date: Wednesday 29th April
Role: Author & Pyongyang Watcher

On the 15th of April, North Korea celebrate their most important annual holiday, the Day of the Sun, to honour the founder, eternal President of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung.

This year, when the current leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un did not attend the celebration of his grandfather, speculation around his whereabouts and welfare began to circulate.

Many media outlets reported that Kim Jong-un had died or is in a vegetive state following a botched operation. In contrast, others have claimed he is just in hiding out of fear of the current coronavirus pandemic.

Getting reliable information out of North Korea is always incredibly difficult, and when it comes to the supreme leader, it is close to impossible.

It is unlikely that outside of North Korea, we will know what has happened to Kim Jong-un until he either makes a public appearance or there is an official statement released by North Korean officials.

In this interview, I am joined by Paul French author of North Korea: A State of Paranoia and an expert on the region. We discuss the history of North Korea and the Kim dynasty, the whereabouts of Kim Jong-un and what to expect next.- - - - -

Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/where-the-fuck-is-kim-jong-un-paul-french

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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