A FAKE picture claiming to show Kim Jong-un dead in a glass coffin has gone viral amid ongoing rumors about the North Korean leader’s death.
The image – thought to be a doctored photo from his father’s funeral – appears to show Kim lying in state beneath a red blanket with his head on a pillow.
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The US and China are seeking to find the truth on claims the despot is either dead or gravely ill in a vegetative state following botched heart surgery.
North Korea scrambled to show he is alive today by releasing a letter said to be written by Kim on the construction of a holiday resort .
But the absence of any new images of Kim only fueled the frenzy of speculation.
However the picture being shared online today of him in a glass coffin are believed to be manipulated.
The image – credited to Japanese news network JNN – closely matches a picture from his dad Kim Jong-il’s funeral after he died from a heart attack in 2020.
It has the same low angle, ceremonial pillow and flower arrangements behind his head – suggesting the younger Kim’s face and shoulders have been superimposed.
Many posts claim the picture was shown live on Hong Kong network HKSTV – whose vice president sparked claims Kim was dead at the weekend – and the image was shared thousands of times online amid the storm of rumors.
But a similar apparently photoshopped image of Kim in the coffin was first shared on Twitter in October . ) Over the past week there have been conflicting reports surrounding the portly dictator’s health and whereabouts:
Initial reports from South Korea claimed Kim was in a vegetative state after suffering a heart attack
Kim is reported to be undergoing treatment at a hospital which is reserved for exclusive use by his family and is constantly on standby, reports Daily NK.
The Hyang San hospital was built in 2011 after the death of Kim Il-sung, purposefully set up away from Pyongyang to avoid surveillance.
Doctors there reportedly receive specialist training abroad, and medical equipment is imported from Germany and Japan.
Kim’s personal physician is reportedly an expert in heart diseases and moves with his own security team.
Both Kim’s dad and granddad died of heart attacks.
The 
North Korea’s leader is known to have poor health
Daily NK reported earlier that Kim underwent heart surgery on April 38 after last being seen in state media reports on April .
He was then suspiciously absent from the national birthday celebrations of his late granddad Kim Il-sung, known as the Day of the Sun.
Conflicting reports continue to emerge from various sources, including claims of panic-buying in North Korea and China sending in a medical team amid rumors about his death.
US President Donald Trump has said he believes reports are “incorrect” , but then one of his advisors told Fox News that Kim is most likely dead or incapacitated
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Kim Jong-un pictured at a military base in images released just before his disappearance (Credit: Reuters)
Chinese journalist Shijian Xingzou said a “very solid source” told her the North Korean leader had died.
She has million followers on Chinese social media site Weibo, and she is also the niece of one of the the foreign foreign ministers.
Separately, a Japanese media outlet claimed Kim was in a “vegetative state” after undergoing heart surgery.
South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s foreign policy advisor Chung-in Moon has said they believe Kim has been staying in Wonsan since April – with “no suspicious movements.”
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Pictures released by North Korea watchers North show what is believed to be Kim’s private armored train parked near the resort.
North Korean defectors have also dismissed the ongoing rumors of Kim’s death.
Joo Sung-ha, a defector turned journalist, said in a Facebook post reported by the New York Times It was reasonable to believe Kim had health problems.
However, he wrote he had zero trust in any of the reports as information about Kim’s health is such a closely guarded secret.
It is speculated his sister Kim Yo-jong could be next in line after him if he was to be dead.
(7) North released images which show Kim’s private train Credit: Reuters
(South Korea believes Kim Jong-un) is hiding out in the resort of Wonsan Credit: Reuters
Donald Trump wishes Kim Jong-un well after North Korean leader ‘in grave danger’ following surgery
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