could this be true?

Back in April, people were openly wondering whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had either kicked the bucket or become seriously ill. Various parties from US intelligence to South Korean intelligence pooh-poohed those rumors and claimed the portly leader was just fine.

But here we are, again, on our own—facing a world without the divine leadership of Korea's own Chow Yum Fat:

Rumors have been spreading that the leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has been taking over gubernatorial duties in Kim Jong-un's apparent absence. These are merely rumors, of course, and Tim Pool's video, above, doesn't really have any substance to back up the claim that the Divine Porcine is out of action. The prospect of the leader's demise has people wondering what might happen next. It's not as though President Trump has achieved anything aside from stepping dramatically across the DMZ without personal security, shaking Kim's hand at a summit, and coming away from all this with little more than vague, empty promises to do... what, exactly? So even if the Grand Ellipsoid should quit this plane of existence and return to the cosmic Mother Cellulite, things wouldn't change that much. Trump wouldn't be returning to Square One because, to be frank, he never left it.

The question of how "stable" the peninsular situation is depends greatly on how stable the Kim dynasty is. If there's a chance the dynasty might topple, then we can switch to speculating about what North Korea's generals have planned, and what this might mean in terms of conventional or nuclear war. Otherwise, if Sister Skeletor is firmly in control and willing to execute any perceived opposition to her rule, things will remain tense but stable. Kim Yo-jong seems more health-conscious than her older brother, and she's a bit younger, so if she secures a complete grip on power, she's likely to rule for a long, long time. If she's shrewd, and if she's not prone to befriending fruit loops like Dennis Rodman, she could preside over a scary buildup of North Korean strength as she cleverly exploits the many loopholes in the several Agreed Frameworks that US president after US president has tried to implement.

Overall, I'd say I'm skeptical that the Grand Dough Ball has expired. There's no clear evidence of his death, and North Korea is never forthcoming about internal matters. Let's check in again next year, but let's also keep our minds open to any new data. Hard data, not wild-eyed speculations. There's too much of that already.