Monday Briefing | May 4
Stories to Follow
Kim Jong-un Resurfaces in Public After Weeks of Speculation: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was under speculation that he was in grave danger after undergoing heart surgery, resurfaced in public after three weeks of unexplained disappearance. North Korean state media reported that Kim attended a ceremony for the opening of a fertilizer plant in Suncheon, North Korea, and further added that people at the factory “broke into thunderous cheers of hurrah” when Kim made an appearance at the site. The speculation about Kim’s health conditions began after he missed the April commemoration of his grandfather’s birthday—Kim Il-Sung, the founder of North Korea—which is deemed to be the most significant event in the country’s political agenda. On Friday, President Trump told reporters in a transcript released by the White House that, “We’ll have something to say about it at the appropriate time.” Then, on Saturday, the President retweeted North Korean state media photos and wrote, “I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!”
South Korea Records No New Domestic COVID-19 Cases: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an announcement last week that there were no new cases in the Republic of Korea and that “we hope that this example of the Republic of Korea will be followed by many other countries in the world.” South Korea confirmed its first case on January 20 and underwent an arduous battle with COVID-19 in March when a fringe religious sect, Shincheonji, found itself at the center of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Happening This Week
Grad Champagne Toast | Wednesday, May 6 | 6:00pm
NYU Center for Student Life is inviting you to virtually toast to the class of 2020! This event will take place via Zoom. Learn more and RSVP online.
This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by Kyoungseo Hong.
