South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs, Kim Yeon-chul, said on Tuesday that Kim Jong-un may have stayed out of the public eye to protect himself from COVID-19, not because he is ill. An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting said on Monday that it was entirely possible Kim Jong-un had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19, adding that the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently. State media in the country haven't reported on his whereabouts since he presided over a meeting on April 11.