Trump rejects reports of Kim Jong-un's illness, says 'hope he's doing fine'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) denied reports of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un's serious illness, saying the news is incorrect.

"...I think the report was incorrect. I heard that the network which published the news, used old documents," Trump made the comments in the daily COVID-19 briefing.
 

"I have a good relationship with North Korea and I have a good relationship with Kim. I hope he is okay," he said.

On Tuesday, Trump had wished Kim well after reports of his poor health surfaced.

"These are reports that came out (about his illness). We do not know. We do not know. Though, I have had a very good relationship with him. I can only say I wish him well. If he is in the kind of condition that the reports say, then it is a very serious condition," Trump said on Tuesday.

On April 15, Kim's absence at his grandfather's birthday celebration had raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting, according to intelligence reports cited by CNN.
Meanwhile, South Korea responded by saying that it did not see any unusual signs suggesting that the North Korean leader is ill.

"There is nothing unusual going on in North Korea. It's not true," a government official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

Kim's absences from official state media often spark speculation and rumours about his health. North Korea has no free press and is often a black hole when it comes to the country's leadership.

Analysts are heavily reliant on scanning state media dispatches and watching propaganda videos for any semblance of a clue.