South Korea’s spy chief refutes claims of Kim’s fatal surgery

South Korea’s spy agency chief Suh Hoon has told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that there were no signs North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has had heart surgery, refuting claims he had been seriously ill.

Rumours that Kim was sick gathered momentum after he failed to attend the annual ceremonies to mark the April 15th anniversary of the birth of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung.

Finally on Saturday, he was pictured at a fertiliser factory.

Kim usually makes an average of 50 public appearances during this period of the year.

The decline in appearances has been attributed to a focus on domestic affairs and the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak.