The recent disappearance of Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s young leader, from public view for more than 40 days has stirred enormous speculation and concern. His mysterious absence was further amplified by the country’s most senior military leader’s unexpected appearance in South Korea along with a high-level team to discuss the terms for renewed North-South diplomacy. These unusual comings and goings were the subject of feverish conjecture and rumour-mongering, with supposed experts suggesting that the “Young Genius” was either deposed in a coup and replaced by his sister, recovering from ankle surgery after an unfortunate fall in teetering high heels or recuperating in hiding after a disfiguring injury. Much of the more outlandish speculation seemed to be resolved by his reappearance in public on Tuesday last week, when he showed up in North Korean state media with a noticeable limp and black cane – perfect accessories to the already Bondish quality of his villainous reputation. Official television in Pyongyang offered helpfully that he had been experiencing “discomfort”.
朝鮮年輕的領導人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)最近從公眾視線中消失了40余天，引發了大量猜想和擔憂。令事態更加戲劇化的是，在他神秘失蹤期間，朝鮮軍方最高人物帶領一支高級別團隊出人意料地出現在韓國，重啟南北外交。這些不同尋常的動向點燃了人們的猜測熱情，導致流言四起。一些所謂的專家提出無奇不有的種種猜想：朝鮮發生了政變，“年輕的天才”已被廢黜，被他的妹妹接替；穿高跟皮鞋的他不幸摔跤，接受踝骨手術后正在康復；因傷毀容后躲起來恢復。上周二金正恩公開露面之后，大部分猜想都不攻自破了。那天，金正恩明顯一瘸一拐地出現在朝鮮官方媒體上，拄著黑色拐杖，跟他本來就具備的007反面人物形象十分相稱。平壤官方電視臺隔靴搔癢般地解釋稱，金正恩此前“身體不適”。