North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has not made any new appearances in state media for more than two weeks, according to the NK Pro Leadership Tracker, his longest stint out of the public eye since last November.

The reason for the 16-day break is unclear, but he could be reducing public activities to protect himself from an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak or vacationing on the east coast, as satellite imagery shows his megayachts active in recent weeks.

Precedent also suggests he could be making secret inspections of highly important weapons development projects, or tending to apparently persistent health issues.

The lengthy break is unusual for Kim Jong Un this year: He has conducted public activities much more frequently in 2022 after taking around 10 breaks of two or more weeks during each of the previous two years. 

The North Korean leader is likely to return to the spotlight this week as the country prepares for major celebrations around the July 27 Victory Day holiday, including holding another conference in Pyongyang for elderly veterans of the Korean War.

SUMMER RETREAT?

As has often been the case during Kim’s long breaks, his luxurious megayachts were once again active off the coast of his beachside mansion complex in Wonsan in recent weeks. 

Planet Labs satellite imagery shows his 180-foot (55 meter) megayacht anchored in a new spot last week, appearing for the first time at the secluded Sin Island, to the north of Tae Island where it typically appears. Imagery shows it spent time at a repair dock in late May, suggesting it received upgrades or maintenance in preparation for summer use.

It is likely that Kim Jong Un himself or his closest family and associates have used the luxury craft, or that his aides have prepared it for their use, since it is typically docked at a private marina in the central Wonsan bay and only comes out to his mansion’s beach or other spots when being prepared for active use. 

A 165-foot (50 meter) megayacht still anchored nearby at Tae Island also appeared active on July 25, with two small boats nearby. 

The movement of Kim’s largest megayacht — an 80-meter craft featuring a multi-story lounge, an Olympic-size pool and amusement-park style waterslides — from the marina to an exposed spot in Wonsan bay in recent weeks may have been part of efforts to protect the ship from damage during recent storms. But the appearance of a small boat driving away from it on July 25 may indicate it, too, was being used for leisure purposes.

A new collection of smaller craft, possibly dredgers or related to security, have appeared to loiter around Kim Jong Un’s private beach in Wonsan since around June 24 | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

Despite this evidence, Kangwon province, where Wonsan is located, has seen the highest suspected COVID-19 case numbers in the country in recent weeks, suggesting Kim may not wish to travel to the area. 

While his mansion and its staff could likely operate in a bubble to protect him from the virus, Kim may also wish to avoid the area if he subscribes to the state propaganda narrative that the surrounding seas carry items contaminated with COVID-19.

If simply on vacation over the last two weeks, the North Korean leader may have also stayed at one of his brand new mansions in Pyongyang —where state TV said no new suspected virus cases were detected on Saturday — or other parts of the country. 

ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES 

State media coverage of last October’s “Self-Defense-2021” weapons expo revealed that Kim has overseen the development of new missile systems despite his long stints out of the public eye. Displayed all around the event floor and in front of the country’s largest and latest missiles were never-before-seen framed photos of Kim inspecting the missiles, likely in their factories.

This means one can’t assume Kim was vacationing or dealing with health issues exclusively when he disappeared from view, as he may have been busy this month tending to weapons development that he does not wish to publicize.

It is also possible that Kim Jong Un is tending to health issues while out of view of state media cameras. 

Rumors over the leader’s health have been a staple of foreign media coverage of North Korea for decades, but Kim has given ample reason for concern in recent years and has continued to appear with unexplained marks in different spots on his arms and the back of his head throughout the last year. 

Some of the dark marks on his arms resemble one that appeared on his inner wrist when he emerged from a long break that coincided with widespread rumors he died or underwent surgery for a heart condition. 

One health expert told NK News at the time it could have been evidence of a procedure to insert a stent through an artery in his wrist. However, others have posited the marks come from traditional remedies such as burning a kind of incense over the skin. 

Kim also appeared with a blue-green splotch on the back of his head in July 2021, which was sometimes covered with a bandage. Similar splotches have appeared again in recent months in different spots in roughly the same area of his head.

The splotches may actually be a Russian antiseptic called Zelyonka that dyes the skin blue-green. Kim may be using the antiseptic to treat a skin condition on his head, as small marks have appeared in different spots on his head in the last year.

These apparent issues come after Kim lost a significant amount of weight in under a month last summer only to gain it back later in the year. The weight loss was never proven to have been a result of a health problem, but state media suggested it may have been when it attempted to solicit sympathy for Kim’s “emaciated” state soon after he reappeared with the new look from a long break.

Edited by Bryan Betts