Kim Jong-un’s train spotted again in Wonsan as speculation continues over North Korean leader’s absence

A train resembling the one used by Kim Jong-un was spotted again near a coastal leadership compound, according to satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, as the North Korean leader’s unusual absence from public continued.

The special train was seen on Wednesday parked at a station near the eastern resort area of Wonsan where it had been repeatedly spotted since April 21, 38 North reported, adding that it could not be considered as proof of Kim’s presence.

Speculation about Kim’s whereabouts have focused on the area, where a top South Korean foreign policy adviser said he is been staying – “alive and well” – since April 13.

Additional satellite imagery reviewed by the website NK Pro showed boats similar to those associated with the North Korean leader active in the waters near Wonsan throughout this month.

The craft made unusual movements on April 14, when North Korea fired off a flurry of short-range missiles.

Kim, 36, has been the subject of global speculation since reports emerged April 20 that he had undergone a cardiovascular procedure the previous week.

Kim has not appeared in North Korean state media since April 12, failing for the first time as leader to attend celebrations marking the birthday of his grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung.

While such absences aren’t unprecedented – Kim dropped out of the public eye for six weeks in 2014 and three weeks last year – they are unusual.

The episode has underscored concerns about instability in the secretive, impoverished and nuclear-armed state because Kim has named no clear successor since taking power after his own father’s death eight years ago.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the US has caught no sight of Kim and is watching reports about his health closely.

“We haven’t seen him. We don’t have any information to report today, we’re watching it closely,” Pompeo told Fox News after being asked about conflicting reports about Kim’s health.

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Pompeo said Washington was also monitoring the situation more broadly in North Korea, given the risk presented by the coronavirus.

“There is a real risk that there will be a famine, a food shortage, inside of North Korea too,” he added. “We’re watching each of those things closely, as they have a real impact on our mission set, which to ultimately denuclearise North Korea.”

Top South Korean officials said on Tuesday were aware of Kim’s location, without elaborating, hours after US President Donald Trump told reporters that “nobody knows where he is.”

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The Wonsan compound has been in the Kim family for decades and the North Korean leader spent a large part of his youth there, racing jet skis in nearby waters in summer and making the development of the area one of his signature projects.

The surrounding area has also been a major centre for missile launches under Kim, where he has been on hand to witness the testing of his regime’s newest weapons.

The area saw a burst of military activity on April 14, including cruise missile tests and fighter jet manoeuvres. Ri Jong Ho, a high-profile North Korean defector who now lives in the US, told the Seoul-based DongA Daily newspaper that Kim may have been injured in the exercises.