정경두 "김정은 특이동향 없다…작년 27일 안 나온 적 있어"

The South Korean government has once again stressed that there have been no unusual movements in North Korea.
This is amid widespread rumors and speculation about the health and whereabouts of Kim Jong-un,... which is regarded a critical variable in peace and stability on the peninsula.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
Seoul's defense minister Jeong Kyeong-doo rejected the wide-ranging speculation carried by local and foreign media outlets regarding Kim Jong-un's health.
Appearing before lawmakers Wednesday in a parliamentary committee meeting, Jeong urged the public to have faith in the government's view that there is nothing out of the ordinary in North Korea.
Without revealing evidence about Kim Jong-un's whereabouts, Jeong said the assessment was based on all of its combined intel,... adding that Kim's absence from the public view is nothing new.
He noted that Kim at one point last year did not appear in public for 27 days,... and that he was absent once this year for more than 15 days.
Jeong's remarks go against the widespread, unverified rumors about Kim's health... fueled by Kim Jong-un's weeks-long absence, which included the Day of the Sun, an annual event celebrated on April 15th... to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung.
This is usually the time of year the North holds a parade to show off its latest weaponry and military might.
Every year since Kim Jong-un became leader, he had paid his respects along with his top aides at the Geumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyeongyang.
The last time Kim made a public appearance in state media was on April 11th... when he presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party.
Meanwhile, on the issue of defense cost-sharing negotiations with the U.S., local media have reported that in its latest proposal, Seoul may have offered to increase its share of the burden by 13 percent from the amount it payed last year... and that the proposal was shot down by President Trump as not enough.
Jeong, however, said such speculation regarding the 13-percent increase is not accurate.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.