Summary

Reports emerged about a week ago that US intelligence suspected Kim Jong-un may be fighting for his life following a surgical procedure. Now, despite denials from China, Russia, and even President Trump, Kim Jong-un remains missing in action.

Is there any truth to the rumors, and if the supreme leader is incapacitated, who will step in to take his place?

How these questions are answered will ultimately determine whether the strategic equilibrium of the Korean Peninsula will remain intact. The stakes could not be higher, as an unorderly collapse or splintering of the DPRK regime risks massive refugee flows, protracted civil conflict, and even regional and/or nuclear war.