For subscribers
News analysis
South Korea, Japan alliances critical for US
Potential crisis due to uncertainty over health of N. Korean leader necessitates closer ties
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
The flurry of rumours around North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health - or even his demise - has been a reminder that a heavily armed world is still a dangerous place even without a pandemic.
It has also sparked a useful conversation in Washington, DC, on the future of US-North Korea relations, either under Mr Kim or a successor, who top Korea analysts agree would most likely be his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, 32.
