Rumours were widely circulating this evening over the health of Kim Jong Un, with one  report claiming the North Korean leader had died.

Vice director of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television Shijian Xingzou said a 'very solid source' had told her Kim was dead.  

Meanwhile, one Japanese media outlet, the weekly Shukan Gendai, claimed the dictator is in a 'vegetative state' after undergoing heart surgery.  

Rumours about the dictator's health have been rife after reports emerged that China sent a medical team to North Korea to assist the leader, who was absent from an important national event this afternoon, according to Forbes.

Because of the nature of the ultra secret regime in North Korea, claims of Kim Jong-un's health are very difficult to verify.