Twitter users logging onto the social media platform Monday were surprised to see North Korean leader Kim Jong-un‘s name trending. Beginning Sunday evening and continuing through Monday morning, people took to Twitter to react to reports that the leader’s health is in peril.
The news surrounding Kim, and the coinciding Twitter discussions, began Thursday after reports surfaced that the North Korean leader had ceded some of his power to his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service allegedly told lawmakers that Yo-jong is “steering overall state affairs based on the delegation” of some of Kim’s responsibilities and that the move is an attempt to “relieve (Kim’s) stress from his reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure.” However, on Sunday, Chang Song-min, a former aide to the late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, reportedly told local media outlets that Kim is in a coma. Those reports have yet to be confirmed.
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Kim’s health has long been at the center of discussion, with the most recent rumors coming just months after reports surfaced of his death. Those reports were later found to be untrue by South Korean and U.S. intelligence. Still, the most recent reports of his health have sparked plenty of discussion on social media, so much so that “Kim Jong-un” was trending. Scroll down to see what Twitter is saying.
2020 ran out of new material so it decided to recycle an arc https://t.co/zMNseS9g4E
— 𝙀𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 🖤 •Fresh Start Arc• CR:Magi & Vagabond (@killuaverze) August 23, 2020
kim jong un every month after the media announce his death pic.twitter.com/rsroVN4dF0
— mol (@hightimesahead) August 23, 2020
Kim Jong Un reportedly faking his death to get out of speaking at the RNC. pic.twitter.com/ZZioTVjTYy
— Dfama (@the_dfama) August 24, 2020
How many times the media will kill this man
— 🤘🎸R💀 (@MangoRepublica) August 23, 2020
Kim Jong Un every month 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/ekqyoEmgUX
— Vijay Jaiswal (@puntasticVU) August 24, 2020
the way kim jong un has died 7 times this year pic.twitter.com/wIFFaR8ZUY
— faith✩ like/rt 📌 (@kunmetaI) August 24, 2020
kim jong un’s sister every few weeks when western media decides he died pic.twitter.com/OWVNQ0BFHW
— eoin ☭ (@cemetrygaytes) August 23, 2020
I’m not falling for this shit again
— Olivia Rondeau (@rondeaulivia) August 24, 2020
No one:
— Ryan Warne (@thouartvandelay) August 24, 2020
Kim Jong Un after dying for the 6th time this year: pic.twitter.com/jrHPqp5ph4
Did we restart 2020 or something https://t.co/4GcPFagvYo
— LC (@lysscrawfood) August 23, 2020
Not buying it. He gonna show up soon. he’s having a great time somewhere 😂
— #BlackLivesMatter 🇨🇦 (@TheRealMoranga) August 23, 2020
kim jong un d*ad again, california on fire…i think the timeline is looping pic.twitter.com/U7ChjViyJm
— q (@phaseIock) August 24, 2020
Okay, who had “Kim Jong Un dies twice” in their 2020 batshittery bingo card?
— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) August 24, 2020
Another rumor that Kim Jong Un is in a coma again, and a couple others saying he is dead. The last time this circulated it turned out to be false, so don’t be too quick to believe unless we see actual proof.
— SteelRaptor (@SteelRaptor) August 24, 2020