Kim Jong Un is alive and well

The argument

Kim Jong-Un was working as usual during his absence. According to North Korean media outlets, he corresponded with the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa. Additionally, the country's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported that Kim Jong-Un's calendar "does not have any day-offs, holidays or birthdays." Lastly, the North Korean leader's appearance at a ribbon cutting ceremony disproved any rumors that he was deceased, showing him alive, well, and smiling. North Korean media demonstrated, therefore, that Kim Jong-Un was--and still is--perfectly fine and running the country as normal.

Premises

Counter-arguments

North Korean media might claim that Kim Jong-Un was working during his absence, but there is no way to verify this information. Due to its counterintelligence techniques, propagandist distribution of information, and lack of evidence for its leader's activities, it is difficult to believe the North Korean media's accounts.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Every item comes from a single source that is also the subject of the claim, and North Korean state media publishes only what the state approves — the counter's point exactly. Diplomatic correspondence is issued in a leader's name as a matter of course and does not require his presence, and a statement that his calendar holds no days off describes his official image rather than his movements. [Rejecting P2] An appearance settles the question only if it can be independently dated, and the argument offers no verification of when the footage was recorded or by whom; it comes from the same outlet whose reliability is in question. A single ceremony would in any case show him alive on one occasion rather than running the country as normal, which is what the position claims.