Questions over Kim’s health highlight intelligence limits

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia’s “Achilles’ heel,” a reference to the North’s belligerence and unpredictable nature.

But there’s a basic, unanswered question, debated by the media and government intelligence services alike: Are the rumors even true?

The exact state of Kim’s health matters because it could determine the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security...