Month long rumors that Jang Song Thaek had been executed by "120 hounds" inexplicably re-emerged Friday after a December 24 dated Straits Times article was re-reported dozens of times by mainstream media outlets.

The report, which quoted the Hong Kong based independent newspaper the Wen Wei Po, suddenly reappeared ten days after the Singapore daily published and some 24 days after the original report surfaced in Hong Kong.