"I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing, relatively speaking. We will see, you'll probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future," Trump said during a Monday briefing, stressing his good relationship with Kim and noting that if he weren't president, the US "would be in war with North Korea."
Last week, CNN reported - citing an unnamed US official - that the US was monitoring "intelligence" which indicated that Kim was in "grave danger" following surgery. Another unnamed US official told CNN that concerns about the North Korean leader's health were credible, but the severity of the ailment was hard to assess. Kim missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15, resulting in speculation regarding his health.
However, in an interview with CNN on Sunday, Moon Chung In, senior foreign policy advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae In, dismissed mounting rumors that Kim is not doing well.
“Our government position is firm,” Moon said. “Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected.”
On Saturday, Washington-based think tank 38 North posted satellite images purportedly showing Kim’s presidential train parked at the Wonsan resort area in the east of the country between April 21 and April 23. The Wonsan complex is believed to be Kim’s main residence outside Pyongyang, Sputnik reported.
North Korean media issued a statement Sunday claiming Kim had “sent appreciation” to workers taking part in the building of the city of Samjiyon.
Last Thursday, Trump also said he believed the original CNN report was "incorrect."
"I think the report was done by a network that was ... incorrect. I'm hearing they used old documents," Trump said at the time.
This is not the first time Kim has been absent from the public eye. He disappeared in 2014 for 40 days, which also resulted in swirling rumors regarding his health.