Kim Jong Un absent on North Korea’s most important holiday: Precaution or doom?

Kim Jong-Un absent on country’s most important holiday: Precaution or doom?

North Korea’s most important holiday - the Day of the Sun falls on April 15, in honour of the country’s founding father Kim II Sung.

Millions across the country celebrate birth of their founding leader. North Korea usually goes big on the day and has marked it with satellite launches and military parades in the first.

However, something was amiss this year. The Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was no where to be seen on the country’s most auspicious day.

Is North Korea being overly protective of its leader or is something wrong with him?

For a country with no reported cases of coronavirus so far, a precautionary measure so extreme feels a little far-fetched.

The last time a leadermmissed something of such importance, he had experienced a stroke.

So, is he ok?

According to CNN, no North Korean media reported his absence/presence at the Day of the Sun festivities.

KCNA, North Korea’s state run news outlet reported that “senior officials” had undertaken the visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim II Sung and his son Kim Jong II are on display.

Analysts believe that this absence marks an unprecedented deviation from custom, for he has never skipped such meetings since he took charge of the country.

In 2008, Kim Jong II had missed North Korea’s 60th anniversary parade. It later turned out that he had experienced a stroke. His health then continued to deteriorate until his death in 2011.

In 2014, Kim Jong Un had disappeared which raised questions about his health. A few days later, it turned out that he a cyst removed from his ankle.

North Korea’s claim of zero coronavirus cases in the country has been disputed by all analysts. And many believe that it could be the likely cause of his absence.

The country has closed its borders to tourists and has quarantined all foreign diplomats, who all eventually left.