The unification ministry says it is keeping an eye on North Korea as leader Kim Jong-un has again been absent from public view for three weeks.
Ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key told reporters Friday that relevant authorities are closing watching the North.
He was last seen attending the completion ceremony of a fertilizer factory on May 1 after a 20-day absence.
Kim's earlier absence prompted global speculation about his health and even the possibility of his death.
The regime leader's longest absence from the public eyes dates back to September 2014, when he disappeared for 40 days following ankle surgery.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
