North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become the subject of fresh health rumours after claims emerged on social media that he suffered a brain haemorrhage and was secretly taken to China for emergency treatment. Some online accounts have even gone so far as to say the 42-year-old leader has passed away, though there is no credible proof for either of these claims.

According to British newspaper The Sun, the rumours suggest Kim was transferred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing after suffering a severe brain bleed. But neither North Korea nor China has acknowledged the medical emergency reported, and no hospital records or independent evidence have surfaced to back up the reports.

Kim was last sighted in photographs posted by North Korean state media on 13 October, where he is pictured with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter, Kim Ju-ae, visiting a defence museum. The visit took place on 11 October, during which he toured weapons exhibitions, including an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that could strike the U.S.

However, what makes the latest rumours so interesting is the timing of their emergence across various online platforms and geopolitical circles. The National Intelligence Service of South Korea told lawmakers on 30 September that Kim weighed about 140 kilograms and that there were no notable health problems.

This assessment was made less than three weeks before the most recent claims started to be widely circulated across international networks. This is not the first time questions have arisen regarding Kim's health, as exact similar stories surfaced in 2020 when he was rumoured to be dead or in a coma after going missing.

He subsequently reappeared in public view, disproving all previous claims made by sensationalist international media outlets regarding his physical condition. The latest speculation has also brought up the subject of North Korea's succession prospects, as Kim's daughter is steadily gaining visibility in public appearances.

Furthermore, his sister, Kim Yo-jong, is steadily gaining considerable political clout within the ruling party and state apparatus of the isolated nation. For now, the reports regarding Kim Jong-un's health remain entirely unverified by any official state channels or independent international observers.