Kim Jong Un’s whereabouts have become a startling mystery online after claims about him secretly losing his life.
Speculation intensified after a US-based Chinese dissident, associated with the China Democratic Party, made explosive claims about the North Korean leader passing away.
“Sometimes paranoid brutal dictators use such gimmicks to identify their enemies,” one commented on the news.
Kim Jong Un’s whereabouts recently became a startling mystery online
Social media users seemed ready to bury Kim Jong Un after rumors about his passing began spreading online.
Wanjun Xie, a political activist and the chairman of the China Democracy Party (CDP—a banned organization in China), appeared to be the first to make the claims on X.
Xie had fled to the U.S. in the late 1990s.
Xie not only said there were “rumors” about the North Korean leader’s passing but also alleged that the situation could trigger a major political crisis in North Korea.
He claimed the development had disrupted succession plans involving Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who has increasingly appeared alongside her father at state events and is seen as a potential successor.
Wanjun Xie claimed there were “rumors” about the North Korean leader having passed away in China
“Rumors circulate that Kim Jong-un has d*ed, thwarting Kim Ju-ae’s succession plans and potentially plunging North Korea into civil war,” Xie wrote in a Sunday tweet.
“The Chinese Communist Party has reportedly dispatched 9,000 troops to Pyongyang to assist Kim Ju-ae in stabilizing her regime.”
He claimed Chinese officials have entered a “state of high alert” in preparation of a “potential civil war in North Korea.”
In another tweet, Xie claimed Kim had suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a coma, after which a team of medical experts from Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing was “dispatched to North Korea to assist in his treatment.”
However, he alleged that the “poor medical conditions in North Korea” forced his transfer to Peking Union Medical College for emergency treatment.
Xie claimed the North Korean dictator’s condition was severe and eventually lost his life. His body was “secretly” taken back to North Korea, he further alleged.
The explosive claims were unverified, with no official confirmation, because when it comes to North Korea, even the most extraordinary claims can be difficult to verify.
The rumors, nevertheless, gained momentum online after North Korea’s English-language news website Pyongyang Times mysteriously shut down.
The servers of the state-controlled website were reportedly not responding, leading to speculation about whether some big announcement was coming.
Photos of the North Korean dictator, in his 40s, were circulated on Monday
NEW: Kim Jong Un on Monday “looked round the venue of the garment and footwear exhibition of the field of light industry,” DPRK state media said.
The photo-report came after rumors emerging on social media suggested he had died yesterday.
https://t.co/rAZQMp2Uk6 https://t.co/hmjRn06KX5
— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) October 19, 2026
The wild rumors were quelled after North Korean state media published photos of Kim seemingly inspecting shoes and clothing for women and children on Monday.
The photos of the reclusive ruler were apparently from his visit to an exhibition, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency.
But the authenticity of the photos was unknown.
Netizens were skeptical about the initial rumors of Kim having passed away.
“Haven’t they been saying this for years?!” one asked, while another wrote, “I’ll believe it when it’s announced by the mainstream.”
“KJU has d*ed more times than a cat,” wrote another.
“So Korea is free now?” one commented online, while another wrote, “he definitely won’t be missed”
The White House from Washington
Similar rumors circulated in 2020 after Ji Seong-ho, a North Korean defector who was elected to be a lawmaker in South Korea, claimed he was “99 percent” sure that Kim had passed away following cardiovascular surgery.
Ji later apologized for the false alarm when Kim was seen alive and thriving in the spotlight.
Last month, Wanjun Xie made similar unverified claims about Chinese president Xi Jinping’s health.
He claimed on X that Xi had fainted during the BRICS summit in India, held in September, and was flown back to Beijing for emergency treatment at the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital.
Neither China nor India had released any kind of information at the time to confirm the news.
“He’s cocooning to become the Ultimate Kim,” one commented online
