北 김정은 20일 만에 공개활동…어제 비료공장 준공식 참석

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly reappeared in public for the first time in nearly three weeks.
The news comes as speculation continues surrounding his health and his successor in the reclusive regime.
Lee Kyung-eun has the details.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has resurfaced in public for the first time in twenty days amid rumors surrounding his health.
The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Saturday that the 36-year-old leader appeared at a new fertilizer factory in Sunchon on Friday to celebrate its completion.
The agency released multiple photos of Kim,...smiling, clapping his hands, and cutting a ribbon at the ceremony.
The report also said that Kim looked around the factory, along with senior officials from the ruling Workers’ Party, including his sister, Kim Yo-jong.
This is Kim's first public appearance since April 11th when he held a meeting with party officials in Pyeongyang.
He was not seen in public on April 15th, which is the country's biggest holiday ------ the birthday of his grandfather and the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung.
That's when rumors about his health began to swirl,...with unverified news reports saying that Kim was "brain-dead" or "in grave danger" after heart surgery.
Or that he may be in quarantine after contracting COVID-19.
There has been much speculation about Kim's successor, with his sister Kim Yo-jong at the center of attention.
The South Korean government has yet to make any official comment.
But U.S. President Trump, when asked about the news at a press briefing on Friday local time, said that he would not comment on it yet,... adding that he'll have something to say about it at the appropriate time.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.