A Chinese dissident falsely claims Kim Jong Un is dead - why is this rumour back?
Recent rumors claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has died have been debunked by state media photos showing him appearing healthy. Analysts note that such rumors are common due to the secretive nature of the North Korean regime.
Why it matters
Misinformation regarding the health of world leaders in nuclear-armed states can cause significant geopolitical instability and market volatility.
Image source, KCNA Image caption, North Korean state media released photos of Kim Jong Un shortly after rumours of his death started spreading online
Kim Jong Un has appeared in North Korean state media looking remarkably healthy for a man rumoured to have died from a brain haemorrhage.
Photographs published by state newspaper Rodong Sinmun show the 42-year-old dictator touring what the paper said was a clothing and footwear exhibition with his daughter.
The images emerged hours after a Chinese dissident who lives in the US claimed, without evidence, that Kim had been taken to a hospital in Beijing in a coma and had died.
For those who watch North Korea closely, this kind of rumour has become almost routine.
In one of the world's most secretive states, facts are often difficult to verify, creating fertile ground for speculation.
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