There are fears that a massive military and humanitarian response would be needed to deal with a chaotic crisis in North Korea, should Kim Jong-un die.
Unconfirmed reports coming out of the communist nation have claimed that Kim Jong-un has become critically ill following surgery.
Should the dictator die, it could set off a refugee crisis that would draw in South Korea, China and the US. Concerns were raised after the tubby tyrant after he missed an April 15 celebration for the 108th birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung - the founder of North Korea.
State media published past comments by Kim, without mentioning his whereabouts. South Korea has, however, not reported any unusual developments coming out of the Hermit Kingdom.