North Korea has released new photographs of its leader Kim Jong Un, putting an end to a weekend of wild rumors that claimed he was dead or in a coma. The pictures, published by state media on October 20, show Kim visiting a clothing and shoe exhibition in Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju Ae standing beside him.
The rumors spread fast on social media over the weekend. Some posts said Kim had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Others said he was lying in a coma in a Beijing hospital, or that he had already died. Fact-checkers found none of it to be true.
How the rumors started
The claims began on X, the social media platform once known as Twitter. A US-based Chinese dissident, Wanjun Xie, wrote that Kim had died after a severe brain hemorrhage. He later added that Chinese doctors had traveled to North Korea to treat Kim, and that his body had been secretly returned to Pyongyang.
Xie also claimed that China had sent 9,000 troops to Pyongyang to manage a possible succession crisis. None of these claims had any proof behind them. One widely shared image even showed Kim's "obituary" dates as 1984-2026.
But no news agency reported a death. Neither North Korea, South Korea, nor China announced any medical emergency. South Korea's intelligence service said it had seen no unusual signs in Kim's health. The story existed only on social media.
The photos that answered back
On October 20, North Korea's official news agency KCNA published new photos of Kim at the 2026 National Garment and Footwear Exhibition in Pyongyang. The images show him bending down to inspect a small pink shoe, talking with officials, and looking at coats on display. His daughter Kim Ju Ae appears in several photos, and his wife Ri Sol Ju was also reported to be present.
The photographs have not been independently checked, and it is not clear exactly when they were taken. Still, they were released directly in answer to the rumors. North Korea rarely responds to gossip this quickly, which shows how widely the claims had spread.
Before this, Kim's last public appearance was on October 11, when he opened a new military museum in Pyongyang. Photos from October 13 showed him touring the museum with his wife and daughter.
What South Korea's spies say
South Korea watches Kim's health closely. In late September, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that Kim is severely overweight - over 140 kilograms - and faces a high risk of heart disease because of his weight and heavy smoking. But the agency said it had found no clear signs of serious illness, and noted that Kim remains physically active.
Kim's health has been a subject of speculation for years. His father and grandfather both died of heart problems, and the North Korean leader has gained weight visibly over the past decade. In 2020, he vanished from public view for three weeks, which triggered a similar wave of death rumors. He then reappeared, healthy, at a factory opening.
Who would take over if Kim were gone?
The rumors also revived an old question: who would rule North Korea if Kim died suddenly? The country has nuclear weapons, so a power vacuum would worry the whole region.
Two names come up most often. One is Kim's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who now appears regularly beside him at public events. The other is his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, who handles some of the country's most sensitive politics. But there is no evidence that any succession process is underway.
Why the rumors keep coming
North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world. It never reports on its leader's health, and state media is the only window into his life. When Kim stays out of sight for even a week, the information gap fills with guesses - and in the age of social media, a single unverified post can travel around the world in hours.
This weekend's episode followed a familiar pattern: one claim, repeated by many accounts, until it looked like many sources were confirming it. In reality, there was only ever one unverified source. The new photos may not convince everyone, but for now, the evidence points one way: Kim Jong Un is alive.
