Where art thou Supreme Leader Kim? Five theories

Maybe another totalitarian regime is in trouble ? N. Korea has been saying they are COVID-19 free which I would assume is a total lie considering their geographical location and the history of communist dictatorial regimes who can not afford to lose face.

Everybody noticed that Kim Jong Un was absent Wednesday, the Day of the Sun, from tributes to his late grandfather, the dynasty’s founder Kim Il Sung, who would have been 108.

If Kim kicks the bucket it will be interesting to see which Dictator floats to the top of that dung heap of a country.
Here are 5 possible scenarios

#5: Coronavirus spread

This theory holds that North Korea, which has claimed to have no coronavirus victims, in fact has so many that Kim and company, shocked at how badly things were going, decided on their version of a lockdown.

#4: Kim’s own health

Kim Jong Un, this theory goes, is sick, or even dead, perhaps from complications of the new coronavirus.

#3: Makeover for Kim

Kim Jong Un is trying to change his image, blur the dynastic lines and turn himself into his own man. That’s a theory that the French wire service Agence France Presse likes. In a Thursday dispatch it quotes a couple of Pyongyang watchers as supporting it.

#2: Coup d’etat

Kim Jong Un, dead or alive, is out – purged in a coup d’etat – but those in charge didn’t have suffficient confidence in their success, or in the security of their plotting, to plan in advance how to explain this to the North Korean public and the rest of the world. We must wait and see.

#1: Hiding out

He was hiding because he feared Trump might give him a drone surprise which I find an utterly stupid reason except paranoia always runs deep with despots. So #2 I do not think so just as #3 is off base IMO. Now when you think and look at both #4 and #5 reasons there might be something to those as Kim is known to not be in the greatest of health to begin with.

I guess we will just have to wait a few weeks to see how and what pans out.
asiatimes.com...

This seems te be a theme that comes back from time to time. He has been ‘gone’ from public eye for a long time many times before.
I’m not saying that there is nothing going on at this time (or the times before). How would I know what happens there...

But I’ll play along:
I think it is a combination of his health, fear of Corona and, after his missile tests recently, fear of American induced ‘lead poisoning’.

originally posted by: 727Sky
Maybe another totalitarian regime is in trouble ? N. Korea has been saying they are COVID-19 free which I would assume is a total lie considering their geographical location and the history of communist dictatorial regimes who can not afford to lose face.

Everybody noticed that Kim Jong Un was absent Wednesday, the Day of the Sun, from tributes to his late grandfather, the dynasty’s founder Kim Il Sung, who would have been 108.

If Kim kicks the bucket it will be interesting to see which Dictator floats to the top of that dung heap of a country.
Here are 5 possible scenarios

#5: Coronavirus spread

This theory holds that North Korea, which has claimed to have no coronavirus victims, in fact has so many that Kim and company, shocked at how badly things were going, decided on their version of a lockdown.

#4: Kim’s own health

Kim Jong Un, this theory goes, is sick, or even dead, perhaps from complications of the new coronavirus.

#3: Makeover for Kim

Kim Jong Un is trying to change his image, blur the dynastic lines and turn himself into his own man. That’s a theory that the French wire service Agence France Presse likes. In a Thursday dispatch it quotes a couple of Pyongyang watchers as supporting it.

#2: Coup d’etat

Kim Jong Un, dead or alive, is out – purged in a coup d’etat – but those in charge didn’t have suffficient confidence in their success, or in the security of their plotting, to plan in advance how to explain this to the North Korean public and the rest of the world. We must wait and see.

#1: Hiding out

He was hiding because he feared Trump might give him a drone surprise which I find an utterly stupid reason except paranoia always runs deep with despots. So #2 I do not think so just as #3 is off base IMO. Now when you think and look at both #4 and #5 reasons there might be something to those as Kim is known to not be in the greatest of health to begin with.

I guess we will just have to wait a few weeks to see how and what pans out.
asiatimes.com...

Maybe he is hiding out for one of the following reasons:-

1. He is scared sh.tless of catching the virus
2. He is in some way responsible for it
3. He has it and wants that to be kept secret

a reply to: 727Sky

Lets consider a few factors about North Korea.

They're the most closed off society in the world.
--Can Chinese travelers simply cross the border at will?
--To do what? Tourism? Visit friends? Only Govt. sanctioned business?

Othe countries in Asia that border China have huge population density for their geographical size and relatively low cases.
--Cambodia: 122 cases recorded in the country.
--Indonesia: As of April 18, the number of cases increased by 325 to 6,248. The death toll also increased by 15 to 535 while 631 have recovered.
--Laos: The country now has 19 cases.
--Philippines: The Health Ministry has reported 10 new coronavirus deaths and 209 additional infections. Total infections have now reached 6,087, while deaths have reached 397.
--Singapore: The country reported 942 infections on April 18, bringing the national total to 5,992.
--Thailand: Thailand reported 33 new infections, bringing the nation’s total to 2,733.
--Vietnam: As of April 16, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 268 cases of COVID-19. However, 171 of the affected patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals.
--Hong Kong: 1,018 cases in Hong Kong.
--Japan: The number of confirmed cases in the country hit 10,000 on April 18.
--Mongolia: 31 cases now reported in Mongolia.

All it has for North Korea is:
--North Korea says it released thousands of people from quarantine, including all but three foreigners.
--North Korea’s state airliner Air Koryo will run a special flight from Pyongyang to the Russian city of Vladivostok for diplomats and international organisation staff who want to return home.
--North Korea, has postponed the start of the new school term.
--State media has said the government has quarantined 380 foreign nationals.
--North Korea has cancelled its April marathon over the virus outbreak.
--North Korea will impose a 30-day quarantine for all foreign visitors.
--72nd Anniversary of Military celebrations cancelled in Pyongyang, Seoul warns of “potential crisis” in-country, suggesting that Sinuiju, a North Korean border city with China has had multiple deaths and infections are spreading. (speculation and possible propaganda)
www.aseanbriefing.com...

If most of the other countries I listed share borders with China, why aren't their numbers very high? The ones with lots of international travelers are like Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, but that's about it. You could theorize it's because they're in Southeast Asia and not closer to the north, but then how do you explain Mongolia? It's right there by North Korea and the Manchurian region of China, I'm sure their borders are open to the Chinese, and they hardly have any cases.

originally posted by: FlyingSquirrel
a reply to: 727Sky

Lets consider a few factors about North Korea.

They're the most closed off society in the world.
--Can Chinese travelers simply cross the border at will?
--To do what? Tourism? Visit friends? Only Govt. sanctioned business?

Othe countries in Asia that border China have huge population density for their geographical size and relatively low cases.
--Cambodia: 122 cases recorded in the country.
--Indonesia: As of April 18, the number of cases increased by 325 to 6,248. The death toll also increased by 15 to 535 while 631 have recovered.
--Laos: The country now has 19 cases.
--Philippines: The Health Ministry has reported 10 new coronavirus deaths and 209 additional infections. Total infections have now reached 6,087, while deaths have reached 397.
--Singapore: The country reported 942 infections on April 18, bringing the national total to 5,992.
--Thailand: Thailand reported 33 new infections, bringing the nation’s total to 2,733.
--Vietnam: As of April 16, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 268 cases of COVID-19. However, 171 of the affected patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals.
--Hong Kong: 1,018 cases in Hong Kong.
--Japan: The number of confirmed cases in the country hit 10,000 on April 18.
--Mongolia: 31 cases now reported in Mongolia.

All it has for North Korea is:
--North Korea says it released thousands of people from quarantine, including all but three foreigners.
--North Korea’s state airliner Air Koryo will run a special flight from Pyongyang to the Russian city of Vladivostok for diplomats and international organisation staff who want to return home.
--North Korea, has postponed the start of the new school term.
--State media has said the government has quarantined 380 foreign nationals.
--North Korea has cancelled its April marathon over the virus outbreak.
--North Korea will impose a 30-day quarantine for all foreign visitors.
--72nd Anniversary of Military celebrations cancelled in Pyongyang, Seoul warns of “potential crisis” in-country, suggesting that Sinuiju, a North Korean border city with China has had multiple deaths and infections are spreading. (speculation and possible propaganda)
www.aseanbriefing.com...

If most of the other countries I listed share borders with China, why aren't their numbers very high? The ones with lots of international travelers are like Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, but that's about it. You could theorize it's because they're in Southeast Asia and not closer to the north, but then how do you explain Mongolia? It's right there by North Korea and the Manchurian region of China, I'm sure their borders are open to the Chinese, and they hardly have any cases.

But why do they hardly have any cases?

a reply to: 727Sky

He's a big fat-fatty. I heard the virus likes 'em thick.

If he's living in fear ... it serves him right. This guy is a bigger fear-mongerer than I am.

HaHaHaHaHa

Seeing as Kim has disappeared from public a number of times in the past it might be that the explanation is that Kim, is really Kima and needs to vanish for several months when pregnant.