Kim Jong-un renewed absence monitored closely: South Korea

Seoul: South Korea on Friday said it was closely monitoring the whereabouts of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has been missing again from the public eye for three weeks. On May 1, Kim attended a ceremony to mark the inauguration of a fertilizer plant in Sunchon following a three-week absence from the public eye, putting an end to rumours that he was sick or dead, reports Efe news. Since then, photos of Kim have been missing from North Korean media reports and the matter came up at a press conference held on Friday by the spokesperson of South Korea's Unification Ministry, Yoh Sang-key. "The relevant authorities are keeping a close watch," Yoh told reporters. The 36-year-old North Korean dictator has been absent from the public more frequently than ever this year. (IANS)