Is Kim Jong-un in coma? Brain haemorrhage rumours spark questions over North Korean leader's health

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become the subject of fresh health rumours after claims emerged on social media that he suffered a brain haemorrhage and was secretly taken to China for emergency treatment.

Some online accounts have even gone so far as to say the 42-year-old leader has passed away, though there is no credible proof for either of these claims.

According to British newspaper The Sun, the rumours suggest Kim was transferred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing after suffering a severe brain bleed.

But neither North Korea nor China has acknowledged the medical emergency reported and no hospital records or independent evidence has surfaced to back up the reports.

Kim was last sighted in photographs posted by North Korean state media on October 13, where he is pictured with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter Kim Ju-ae visiting a defence museum.

The visit was on October 11 during which he toured weapons exhibitions, including an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that could strike the U.S.

However, what makes the latest rumors so interesting is the timing.

The National Intelligence Service of South Korea told the lawmakers on September 30 that Kim weighed about 140 kilograms and there were no notable health problems.

The assessment was made less than three weeks before the most recent claims started to be widely circulated.

This is not the first time questions have arisen in regard to Kim's health.

The same story surfaced in 2020 when he was rumoured to be dead or in a coma after going missing from public sight. He subsequently reappeared.

The latest speculation also has brought up the subject of North Korea's succession prospects, as Kim's daughter is steadily gaining ground in public appearances and his sister, Kim Yo-jong, is gaining political clout.

For now, the reports regarding Kim Jong Un’s health remain unverified.