Photos: Kim Jong Un's first public appearance after health speculation - Business Insider - Business Insider

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• Images released by North Korean state media show the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, at his first public appearance after weeks of widespread speculation about his health.
• Kim attended the completion ceremony of a fertilizer plant north of the capital, Pyongyang on Saturday,  according to North Korean state news agency KCNA.
• Business Insider could not verify the authenticity of the pictures.
• The pictures show Kim touring the plant and talking to aides, one of which was his sister, Kim Yo Jong.
• It is the leader's first public appearance since April 11. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

North Korean state media released images of the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, making his first public appearance after weeks of speculation about his health and whereabouts. 

Business Insider could not verify the authenticity of the photos.

Kim attended the completion ceremony of a fertilizer plant north of the capital, Pyongyang on Saturday, marking his first public appearance since April 11.

Rumors had circulated that Kim might be dead, but US and South Korean intelligence services expressed skepticism over such reports, the Washington Post reported in late April.

The North Korean leader's younger sister Kim Yo Jong joined her brother on the visit to the fertilizer plant, according to KCNA. She's the most powerful woman in North Korea, and it's speculated she would take over as the leader of the rogue state in the event of her brother's death. 

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul recently suggested that concern over the coronavirus pandemic was likely to blame for Kim's lack of public appearances. 

"He had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung's birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," the minister told a parliamentary hearing, per a Reuters report from Tuesday. 

Scroll down to see photos of the North Korean leader touring the plant, speaking with aides, and smiling at a crowd of attendees. 

After weeks of intense speculation about his health, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance on Saturday, according to official news agency KCNA.

Kim Jong Un attends the completion of a fertilizer plant in a region north of the capital, Pyongyang, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 2, 2020.

KCNA/via Reuters

Kim attended the completion ceremony of a fertilizer plant north of the capital, Pyongyang and was accompanied by senior aides, including his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong.

Kim Jong Un, together with his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, at the completion ceremony of a fertilizer plant in Pyongyang on May 2, 2020.

KCNA/via Reuters

Source: Reuters

In the pictures, which could not be verified by Business Insider, the leader is seen smiling and waving on a podium in front of a crowd of people.

People watch a television broadcast reporting an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a news program on May 02, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

NK News also published a video of the leader touring the plant with his aides.

—NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) May 2, 2020

KCNA also reported that the people attending the event "burst into thunderous cheers of 'hurrah!' for the Supreme Leader..." In the footage, almost all attendants are seen wearing face masks.

A Screenshot of North Korean State Television showing Kim Jong Un at Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory in South Pyongan Province on May 2, 2020.

KCNA Watch

Source: Reuters

This is the first report of Kim's whereabouts since April 11.

A Screenshot of North Korea State Television showing Kim Jong Un at Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory in South Pyongan Province on May 2, 2020.

KCNA Watch

The rumors of his health started when Kim missed the annual birth-anniversary celebrations of his grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung, on April 15. It is the country's most important holiday.

Television broadcast reporting an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a news program on May 02, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

Adding to the speculation, a South Korean news outlet that specializes in reporting the secretive state said that Kim had undergone a cardiovascular procedure and was recovering, although this report was unconfirmed.

A Screenshot of North Korea State Television showing Kim Jong Un at Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory in South Pyongan Province on May 2, 2020.

KCNA Watch

Source: Reuters

Satellite images released on April 29 showed a train usually used by the leader near a resort town, with people suggesting he may be staying there.

Kim Jong-un's train is seen parked near Wonsan, North Korea on Wednesday, a sign that experts say show he may be alive and hiding out from the coronavirus in the resort town.

Planet Labs Inc./38 North via Reuters

Source: Reuters

Kim's absence also prompted the suggestion that the leader may have been taking precautions against the coronavirus.

Students wearing face masks disinfect their hands and undergo a temperature check as they arrive for a lecture on preventative measures against the COVID-19 novel coronavirus at the Pyongyang University of Medicine in Pyongyang on April 22, 2020.

Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images

North Korea has implemented some measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but claims that its has no confirmed cases as well as fatalities. 

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