"I've had a very good relationship with him ... I can only say this: I wish him well," Trump said during the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing. "Because if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say ... that's a very serious condition ... I've said it many times."
"If somebody else was in this position, we would've been right now at war with North Korea," he continued.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2020
Later pressed by a reporter on the matter, Trump stressed that he wanted nothing more than for Kim to "be well."
Kim missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15, resulting in speculation regarding his health.
On Monday, CNN reported - citing an unnamed US official - that the US was monitoring "intelligence" which indicated that Kim is in "grave danger" following surgery. Another unnamed US official told CNN that concerns about the North Korean leader's health are credible, but the severity of the ailment is hard to assess.
Following reports regarding Kim's alleged surgery, South Korean presidential office spokesperson Kang Min Seok stated on Tuesday that "we have nothing to confirm, and there has been no unusual activity detected in North Korea," the South Korean state-funded Yonhap News Agency reported. South Korean outlet Daily NK reported, citing an unnamed source from North Korea, that Kim underwent a "cardiovascular surgical procedure" and was said to be mostly recovered. However, the report also said that Kim is still receiving medical treatment at the Hyangsan Medical Center, a "dedicated hospital of the Kim family."
Yonhap reported that Kim was last seen on April 11 presiding over a ruling Workers' Party of Korea Political Bureau meeting.
