Trump says he has good idea how North Korea's Kim is doing; 'I hope he's fine'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, after days of speculation over the North Korean leader's health.
Kim's whereabouts and whether he had a heart procedure have been a subject of intense speculation in recent weeks. Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, reported last week that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on April 12, citing one unnamed source in North Korea. Reuters has not been able to confirm the report.
A special train possibly belonging to Kim was spotted last week at the North Korean resort town of Wonsan, according to satellite images reviewed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project.
"I can't tell you exactly," Trump said when asked about Kim's condition at a White House news conference. "Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well."
Trump suggested the mystery would be solved soon.
"I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing relatively speaking. We will see - you'll probably be hearing in the not too distant future," Trump said.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Tim Ahmann; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Lisa Lambert and Stephen Coates)