Kim Jong-un is back and this time he's got a cane

After vanishing from the public eye for nearly six weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is back, ending rumours that he was gravely ill, deposed or worse.

Now, a new mystery has emerged: Why the cane?

Kim, who was last seen publicly at a September 3 concert, appeared in images released by state media on Tuesday smiling broadly and supporting himself with a walking stick while touring the newly built Wisong Scientists Residential District and another new institute in Pyongyang, part of his regular "field guidance" tours. The North did not say when the visit happened, nor did it address the leader's health.

Kim's appearance allowed the country's massive propaganda apparatus to continue doing what it does best - glorifying the third generation of Kim family rule. And it will squash, at least for the moment, rumours of a coup and serious health problems.

Before yesterday, Kim had missed several high-profile events that he normally attends and was described in an official documentary last month as experiencing "discomfort".

Archive footage from August showed him overweight and limping, prompting South Korean media to speculate he had undergone surgery on his ankles. Some experts thought he was suffering from gout or diabetes.