North Korea’s Kim Jong Un appears in public amid health rumors

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean state media says leader Kim Jong Un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days after his absence triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill.

The Korean Central News Agency said Saturday that he attended a ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang with other senior officials, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong. State media published several photos of Kim at the factory, smiling as he looks around the facilities and cuts a red ribbon.

Speculation about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 celebration of the birthday of his late grandfather.

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