Pyongyang, North Korea
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il hasn’t been seen in public since July 4, the day his country angered the U.S. by test-firing seven missiles. Kim is known for going into hiding whenever tensions with the U.S. rise: He was incommunicado for 50 days in 2003, after North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and for 26 days after 9/11. This time, though, may be different. Kim didn’t even appear at his father’s shrine this summer, something he has done on the anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s death every year. Some speculate he may be hiding in a bunker, fearing U.S. retaliation for the missile launches. Others suspect he could be ill.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raidsIn the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
