Trump says N. Korean leader is in 'good health'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in "good health," dismissing speculation that the reclusive leader may have suffered serious health issues.

"Kim Jong Un is in good health. Never underestimate him," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The short statement came one day after a series of reports suggested that Kim may have played the U.S. president with flattery, citing excerpts from an upcoming book by famed journalist Bob Woodward, who claims to have obtained 25 previously unpublicized letters exchanged between Trump and Kim.

Trump's tweet follows long-term speculation that Kim may have suffered a health problem that put him in a coma, which was sparked by his long disappearance from the public eye.

Kim, however, has returned to carrying out his duties.

Kim and Trump have met three times since June 2018 when they held the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit. Their denuclearization talks have stalled since their second summit, held in February 2019, ended without a deal.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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