How Did Kim Jong Un Die? Media Reports North Korean Dictator Dead Following Botched Heart Surgery
He's had issues for a long time.
Getty Images As rumors about Kim Jong Un's demise continue to circulate on the Internet, experts weigh in on what, exactly, caused him to be in such poor health in the first place. While reliable news about the North Korean dictator is hard to come by (because the country is considered a "closed country," meaning that the news that they share with so-called 'hostile' countries such as the United States can best be viewed as propaganda, at best, and outright falsehoods, at worst — in short, the news is unreliable), there are some conclusions that can be drawn based on the limited confirmed legitimate information that we have available.
How did Kim Jong Un die?
Let's take a look at the health problems plaguing the North Korean dictator.
And certainly, there's no shortage of information available.
Right now, the United States is "closely monitoring" reports of his death.
A United States government official, who said that he had "direct knowledge" of the situation, wouldn't comment on whether the reports of Kim Jong Un's death were, in fact, accurate. He would only say that the White House was "closely monitoring" the situation and would advise of any major developments.
North Korean media only recently confirmed that Kim Jong Un suffered from heart problems and needed to undergo surgery.
Despite the fact that North Korea would frequently make it seem as though Kim Jong Un was the picture of perfect health, they recently admitted that he wasn't in the best shape when they had to confirm that he underwent a "cardiovascular procedure." However, the North Korean media stated that Kim Jong Un had "largely recovered" from the procedure.
Reports suggest that Kim Jong Un did not have a healthy diet or lifestyle.
Based on the sheer number of surgeries and health scares he'd had, it was clear Kim Jong Un didn't have a healthy diet or lifestyle. Indeed, it had been confirmed that Kim Jong Un was severely overweight, didn't follow a healthy diet, and smoked excessively — all things which contributed to his failing health.
In December 2014, he was photographed walking with a cane.
Six years ago, there were signs that Kim Jong Un's health was deteriorating when he disappeared from the public eye for a number of months. From September 2014 to December 2014, he removed himself from the public eye. When he returned in December 2014, he was seen walking with a cane. This marked the first sign that the North Korean dictator wasn't in the best of health.
His heart surgery left him in "fragile health."
Even though there are reports that suggest that South Korea is "downplaying concerns" about Kim Jong Un's failing health, even the media in both South and North Korea had to admit that Kim Jong Un's recent heart surgery left him in "fragile health." They also admitted that they didn't know where the negotiations with the United States stood as a result of this new development.
Preliminary reports suggest that Kim Jong Un is dead, but nothing has been officially confirmed as of yet.
As of this writing, Kim Jong Un is speculated to be dead, especially given the various reports that suggest his death was the result of a "botched" heart surgery. However, nothing has been confirmed as of yet and we will continue to monitor the situation and keep you posted as new reports become available.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.