The US is
monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim
Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery, according to a US official
with direct knowledge.
Kim recently
missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15,
which raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days
before that at a government meeting.
Another US
official told CNN Monday that the concerns about Kim's health are credible but
the severity is hard to assess.
Daily NK, an
online newspaper based in South Korea that focuses on North Korea, reports that
Kim reportedly received a cardiovascular system procedure on April 12.
Kim received
the cardiovascular system procedure because of "excessive smoking,
obesity, and overwork," according to the news site, and is now receiving
treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County following his procedure.
After
assessing that Kim's condition had improved, most of the medical team treating
him returned to Pyongyang on April 19 and only part of them remained to oversee
his recovery situation, according to the news site. CNN is unable to independently
confirm the report.
The National
Security Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined
to comment when reached by CNN on Monday. CNN has also reached out to the CIA
and the State Department for comment and sought comment from the South Koreans.
Gathering
intelligence out of North Korea is notoriously difficult -- one of the most
challenging targets for US intelligence.
North Korea
tightly controls any information surrounding its leader, who is treated almost
like a deity within the country. His absences from official state media often
spark speculation and rumors about his health. North Korea has no free press
and is often a black hole when it comes to the country's leadership. Analysts
are heavily reliant on scanning state media dispatches and watching propaganda
videos for any semblance of a clue.
Kim last
appeared in North Korean state media on April 11. April 15 -- North Korea's
most important holiday, the anniversary of the birth of the country's founding
father, Kim Il Sung -- came and went without any official mention of Kim Jong
Un's movements.
Experts are
unsure of what to make of Kim's absence from any festivities celebrating his
grandfather. When North Korean leaders have not shown up to these important
celebrations in the past, it has portended major developments. But it has also
turned out to be nothing.
"There
have been a number of recent rumors about Kim's health (smoking, heart, and
brain). If Kim is hospitalized, it would explain why he wasn't present on the
important April 15th celebrations," said Bruce Klingner, a senior research
fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA deputy division chief for
North Korea. "But, over the years, there have been a number of false
health rumors about Kim Jong-un or his father. We'll have to wait and
see."
Kim Jong
Il's absence from a parade celebrating North Korea's 60th anniversary in 2008
was followed by rumblings that he was in poor health. It was later revealed he
had a stroke, after which his health continued to decline until his death in
2011.
Kim Jong Un
disappeared from the public eye for more than a month in 2014, which also
prompted speculation about his health. He returned sporting a cane, and days
later South Korean intelligence said that he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
"It's
easy to be wrong on this one," said John Delury, a professor of
international relations at Yonsei University in Seoul.
This story
is breaking and will be updated.
CNN's
Zachary Cohen, Betsy Klein, Alex Marquardt and Vivian Salama contributed to
this story.
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