North Korea’s Kim Jong-un can walk without a stick, new photos show

North Korea’s top newspaper carried pictures on Wednesday of leader Kim Jong-un walking without a stick, apparently showing he has recovered from either an injury or surgery to his leg.

, the official daily newspaper of the state’s ruling Korean Workers Party, carried a photo of a smiling Kim walking without the cane he was seen using last month.

The picture shows Kim walking to a chair in front of a crowd of soldiers for a photo opportunity. Another picture showed Kim standing and clapping his hands.

Following an extended absence from the pubic eye, Kim resurfaced with a walking stick in mid-October.

His nearly six-week absence triggered a frenzy of speculation about his health and grip on power.

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North Korea’s state television at the time carried still photos of Kim walking with a black cane but aired no matching video footage.