Mike Pompeo warns North Korea at risk of facing famine, says no sight of Kim Jong Un

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on April 29 reportedly said that there is a real risk of famine in North Korea amid the coronavirus outbreak. Pompeo was answering a question on the whereabouts of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who is missing from the spotlight since April 11. Pompeo during an interview reportedly said that the United States has not seen him for weeks now but assured that Washington is watching closely. 

Read: Kim Jong Un's Sudden Disappearance Brings Spotlight To North Korea

Pompeo was also asked about Kim Jong Un's health during his daily press briefing on April 29, to which he replied, "So I don’t have anything to add to the status of Chairman Kim.  I think the President commented on it yesterday." When asked if North Korea would be safer or more dangerous with or without Kim Jong-un in charge and US' plan on what would happen if he dies, Pompeo said, "We did have a chance to interact with a number of North Koreans on our various trips, the ones that I took along with my team and then when the President traveled there for – to meet with Chairman Kim and his team as well.  So we’ve had a chance to meet Chairman Kim’s sister and some of the other leaders there as well."

Read: German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer Prohibits Hezbollah Activities

Pompeo further added that no matter what transpires in North Korea, the United States would continue to focus on its mission, which is to achieve verified denuclearization of the state. "Regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership, our mission remains the same.  It’s to deliver on the agreement that Chairman Kim made with President Trump back in Singapore, and that’s the fully denuclearized, verified denuclearization of North Korea," Pompeo told reporters.   

Read: Syria Needs Ceasefire To Effectively Combat COVID-19 Crisis: UN Envoy

Kim Jong's disappearance

The rumours of the 36-year-old dictator being seriously ill found a base when Kim failed to appear on the annual ceremonies to mark the birth anniversary of his grandfather on April 15, a very important event in North Korea. The report was first published in a newspaper in South Korea that follows the secretive state closely. US President Donald Trump had earlier this week said that he knows where Kim is but he won't tell anybody, adding fuel to the sparking speculations. 

Read: White House Clarifies It Briefly Follows Twitter Handles During State Visits

Media reports suggest that Kim Jong Un's maybe spending some alone time at his coastal resort in Wonsan as satellite images from a US-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, showed a train parked outside a station reserved for the family's personal use. As per reports, boats used by Kim were also spotted in the Wonsan area, suggesting his presence.

(Image Credit: AP)