10 Kim Jong Un rumors we've investigated over the years

Reports of the North Korean supreme leader's death have once again been greatly exaggerated. Published Oct. 21, 2026 Kim Jong Un — supreme leader of North Korea since the 2011 death of his father, Kim Jong Il — is a frequent target of false reports claiming he has died. The latest rumor circulated in October, with social media posts saying he suffered a brain hemorrhage before dying, fueling rumors about a possible replacement. Though credible outlets like the BBC have produced debunks regarding the latest rumor, claims about Kim's demise are common. The secretive nature of the North Korean regime and the man himself being labeled as one of "the world's scariest dictators" likely contribute to the frequency of such claims. With false reports of his death circulating once more, we dug into the Snopes archives to list 10 investigations related to the North Korean dictator from the past few years. Sources Bicker, Laura. Kim Jong Un: Why Do Rumours About His Death Keep Coming Back? 20 Oct. 2026, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmvg6qv1jdydo. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.Landler, Mark, and Choe Sang-Hun. "In Kim's Undetected Death, Sign of Nation's Opacity." The New York Times, 19 Dec. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/world/asia/in-detecting-kim-jong-il-death-a-gobal-intelligence-failure.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.Pedler, Taryn, and Steve Mollman. "Kim Jong Un Pictured as Unfounded Health Rumors Spread Online." Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2026, www.newsweek.com/kim-jong-un-photos-unfounded-health-rumors-spread-online-12593004. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.Szoldra, Paul, and Veronika Bondarenko. "How North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un, 33, Became One of the World's Scariest Dictators." The Independent, 20 Apr. 2017, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/how-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-33-became-one-of-the-world-s-scariest-dictators-a7691396.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026. By Joey Esposito Joey Esposito has written for a variety of entertainment publications. He's into music, video games ... and birds. Article Tags