- North Korea releases new photos of Kim Jong Un.
- Photos counter fresh social media death and coma rumours.
- Fourth instance of Kim Jong Un health speculation.
North Korea on Tuesday released photographs of its Supreme leader Kim Jong Un following fresh rumours on social media that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage, fallen into a coma and died. The photos show Kim inspecting shoes and women’s clothing at an exhibition. The pictures come as it marks the fourth time that rumours about Kim’s death or serious illness have surfaced.
Latest Photos Show Fit Kim
The photographs were released by North Korean state media. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim visited the exhibition on Monday. However, the photographs have not been independently verified, and it is unclear when they were actually taken. In one photograph, Kim is seen bending forward to examine a small pink shoe held by a woman wearing a light pink dress.
🚨🇰🇵 Kim Jong Un PROOF-OF-LIFE or a BODY DOUBLE? Unverified claims that the North Korean dictator died of a brain hemorrhage made their rounds and gained traction on social media. So, what does any repressive, isolated, authoritarian state do when its leadership is put into question? Release photos of the Dear Leader and his daughter inspecting children’s shoes VERY CLOSELY. Maybe he has tiny feet? Source: NYP / Writer: Marie https://t.co/rNyx1jcNbB
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 20, 2026
Another image shows him standing with his arms outstretched while appearing to speak to an official. A third photograph shows Kim reaching towards the sleeve of a rust-coloured women’s coat displayed on a mannequin. Officials and aides can also be seen accompanying him during the visit.
Recommended For You
How Did The Latest Death Rumours Begin?
The latest claims spread online after Wanjun Xie, a US-based Chinese dissident associated with the China Democracy Party, posted a series of allegations on X on Sunday. Xie claimed that Kim had died and alleged that China had sent 9,000 troops to Pyongyang amid fears of a succession crisis. He later claimed that specialists from Beijing’s Peking Union Medical College Hospital had travelled to North Korea to treat Kim following a severe cerebral haemorrhage.
Rumors circulate that Kim Jong-un has died, thwarting Kim Ju-ae's succession plans and potentially plunging North Korea into civil war. The Chinese Communist Party has reportedly dispatched 9,000 troops to Pyongyang to assist Kim Ju-ae in stabilizing her regime. In preparation for a potential civil war in North Korea, the Northern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has entered a state of high alert (Level III), and all troops within the theater command have been ordered to...Leave, family visits, and demobilization/retirement are suspended; personnel who have left the area are recalled; and strict control over personnel entry and exit is enforced!
— Wanjun Xie (@xie_wanjun) October 18, 2026
This is not the first time that rumours about Kim’s death or serious illness have circulated. Over the years, several unverified claims have surfaced about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un’s health. In 2014, Kim disappeared from public view for around 40 days, leading to speculation about a possible coup or serious health problems, including gout. He later reappeared walking with a cane.
In April 2020, Kim’s absence from his grandfather Kim Il Sung’s birthday celebrations sparked widespread speculation that he was seriously ill or in a coma. Further speculation emerged in May 2023, when social media claims suggested that Kim had collapsed during an official inspection.
ALSO READ: It's Not North Korea, This Country Still Lives Like It's 1950; No Internet, No Television
You May Also Like To Watch: