North Korea’s capital Pyongyang is expected to hold mass military parades this week but the country’s leader Kim Jong Un hasn’t been seen in public for more than a month.
NK News, a South Korean-based outlet, reports that Kim skipped a Politburo meeting on Sunday – the third time he’s ever done so.
Kim’s previous prolonged disappearances have provoked speculation about his health. Per NK News, his longest-ever break from public appearances was in 2014, when he was not seen for 40 days.
The parade, which will celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army, is expected to be held on Tuesday or Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether Kim will emerge from hiding to make an appearance.
Kim may use the event to showcase the latest hardware from his growing nuclear weapons and missile program that’s brewing concern for the United States and its allies in Asia.
In late December, North Korean drones entered South Korea airspace for the first time in five years, prompting a response.
“South Korea’s Defense Ministry said several North Korean drones were detected in its territory after crossing the inter-Korean border on Monday morning, prompting broadcast warnings from the South’s military. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported the drones were spotted flying in Gimpo, Ganghwa Island and Paju, which led to temporary suspensions of civilian flights,” Fox News then reported.
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