Amid health worries, Kim Jong Un's role looms large

FOSTER KLUG

Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — New rumors about Kim Jong Un pour in daily. The North Korean leader is dead. Or he's very ill. Or maybe he's just recuperating in his luxury compound or isolating himself from the coronavirus.

As speculation about his health builds, an underlying question looms for professional spies, policymakers, academics and curious news consumers alike.

What do we really know about the man who leads North Korea?

The answer is crucial because Kim's intentions, and the as-yet-unknown state of his health, play an outsized role in the workings of Northeast Asia, an un...