China said on Tuesday it is aware of reports about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but said it does not know their source, without commenting on whether it has any information about the situation.
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Tuesday it is aware of reports about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but said it does not know their source, without commenting on whether it has any information about the situation.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks during a daily briefing and did not elaborate further.
Media outlets said Kim had gone under a cardiovascular procedure, with CNN citing a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter as saying that Washington was “monitoring intelligence” that Kim was in grave danger after a surgery. Two South Korean sources rejected CNN’s report, while a Chinese source said they did not believe Kim was critically ill.
Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Andrew Heavens