"한미 정보당국, 신호정보로 김정은 특이동향 없다는 것 사전 파악"<br /><br />Reports say that South Korea and the U.S. had been well aware of Kim Jong-un's whereabouts during the past three weeks through data gathered through satellites and signal intelligence.<br />Despite rampant speculations about the North Korean leader's health, the South Korean government had, time and time again, said there was nothing of significance happening in the North.<br />Oh Jung-hee reports.<br />North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's 20-day disappearance was merely to protect himself from the coronavirus.<br />The Washington Post reported Saturday citing two sources familiar with the matter... that Kim had retreated to a beach resort in Wonsan, after learning in mid-April that one of his subordinates had suffered from a fever.<br />It added that South Korean and U.S. officials were skeptical that Kim had died.<br />Signals intelligence didn't show any rise in communication in Pyeongyang... and days before Kim's reappearance, Seoul had shared information with Washington that contradicted media reports about Kim's death.<br />The first reports suggesting Kim Jong-un was in bad health came from Seoul-based online media outlet Daily NK... which claimed that Kim had been recovering after having cardiovascular surgery.<br />Then, CNN reported that the U.S. is monitoring information that Kim is "in grave danger" after having heart surgery.<br />But the South Korean government made a rare, outright rebuttal to these reports... saying the government is sure that there had been nothing peculiar happening in the North.<br />"We tell you once again, we have sufficient intelligence capabilities to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in the North."<br />South Korea collects North Korea information through satellites, signals intelligence, human intelligence and information revealed through North Korean outlets.<br />During the recent controversy surrounding Kim Jong-un's whereabouts, Seoul and Washington were reportedly aware through satellite information that Kim was in Wonsan.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.<br />
