UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he had "no information" about the health of Kim Jong Un, amid unconfirmed reports that the North Korean leader is unwell.
Guterres was responding to a question on whether any UN official had spoken to any North Korean official about the health and whereabouts of Kim.
"We have no information about the situation of Kim Jong Un," Guterres said during a virtual press briefing.
There have been unconfirmed reports that Kim is not in good health. The rumours began after he missed the April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim II Sung.
North Korea has not dispelled the rumours of ill health of its ruler.
According to reports, citing satellite images, a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked in his compound on the country's east coast for a week.
US President Donald Trump has said he has a "very good idea" about the status of Kim but he cannot talk about it.
"I can't tell you exactly - yes, I do have a very good idea but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference Monday.
The UN chief also said the US and China were "absolutely vital" countries in the international community and their contribution to fight the COVID-19 as well as in development of international relations was "absolutely essential", amid mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing in the wake of the pandemic.
"It is clear for me that the US and China are two extremely important elements in the international community both from the economic dimension, from the political dimension, from the military dimension. These are two absolutely vital countries," he said
Slamming Beijing for failing to contain the novel coronavirus at its origin, Trump said the virus outbreak "should have been stopped at the source, which was China. It should have been stopped very much at the source, but it wasn't. And now we have 184 countries going through hell."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
