North Korean media has reported that the country’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days following reports that he was ill.
KCNA news agency reported that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory, with pictures accompanying the event.
However, the latest reports from North Korean media could not be independently confirmed.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was accompanied by several senior North Korean officials, including his sister Kim Yo-jong.
Speculation about Mr Kim’s health began after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of his grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung on 15 April.
It was the first time that Kim missed the event since he succeeded his late father Kim Jong-il.
This was not the first time that Kim has disappeared from the public. In September 2014, he went missing for 40 days after attending a concert. He reappeared in mid-October, using a walking stick.
In the final analysis, it is not known where the secretive leader was hibernating in the past 20 days.
He could have been ill, or he could have had some sort of surgical procedure in the last two weeks. Or he could have been lounging on a yacht near his villa in Wonsan.