Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/04/2020
By: Matt Yu and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Taiwan's intelligence chief has defended his widely cited assessment last Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was sick a day before the dictator made an appearance at a May Day celebration.

As rumors were widely circulating that Kim had died or in a vegetative state, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) publicly told legislators on April 30 that "Kim is sick" and noted that his assessment was based on information obtained by the NSB and not his personal opinion.

On Friday, however, North Korean media released unverified images of a smiling Kim making his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang, ending the absence that had triggered rumors of his demise.

At a hearing held by a legislative committee Monday, Chiu was panned by Kuomintang Legislator Chen I-hsin (陳以信) for making public comments on a foreign head of state.    [FULL  STORY]