For the past week rumours have been swirling through online forums and amongst North Korea watchers that the country's dictator is dead.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for days, sparking speculation that the 36-year-old has come to some kind of harm. This morning a state newspaper ran a letter of thanks from Kim to construction workers in the country - the first word heard from the tyrant in more than two weeks.
The dictator was not pictured however, meaning the report did little to quieten speculation that Kim is dead eight years into his reign.
If he is indeed dead or in a vegetative state as some reports have suggested, then a path to power for Kim's sister Kim Yo-jong could start to emerge.