Kim Jong Un has reportedly made his first public appearance in 20 days amid speculation about the North Korean leader’s health.
The state news agency KCNA released pictures showing Mr Kim cutting a ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory in Sunchon with other senior officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong.
KCNA said the event took place on Friday and that workers at the factory broke into “thunderous cheers” for Mr Kim.
The state news agency said Mr Kim is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile forces”.
It was Mr Kim’s first reported public appearance since April 11, when he presided over a ruling Workers’ Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus.
Questions erupted over Mr Kim’s whereabouts after he failed to attend public celebrations to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.
Kim Jong Un - In pictures
Rumours swiftly emerged that the 36-year-old dictator was recovering from heart surgery, with US media suggesting he was in “grave danger".
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump declined to comment about Mr Kim’s reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the appropriate time”.
State media reported Mr Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
South Korea’s Government has repeatedly downplayed speculation that Mr Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
It was not immediately clear what caused Mr Kim’s absence in recent weeks.
In 2014, Mr Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
