Two prominent defector-turned-politicians in South Korea on Monday formally apologized for earlier speculation about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In a statement following Kim’s surprise reappearance in state media on Saturday, former diplomat and a newly-elected lawmaker Thae Yong-ho apologised for earlier comments suggesting the North Korean leader could no longer “stand up by himself or walk properly.”

“I have deeply realized how much impact each of my words can have for the past few days, criticized after Kim Jong Un reappeared,” he said in a statement Monday. “Regardless of the reasons, I apologize to