Seoul: North Korea-s ruling party celebrated its 69th anniversary today with no early sign that "missing" leader Kim Jong-Un might finally resurface after more than a month out of the public eye Kim-s unexplained absence has fed a cycle of rumour and wild speculation that only a country as reclusive and impenetrable as North Korea could sustain.

Competing theories range widely from an extended rest period to a leadership coup, via a long list of possible illnesses and ailments including broken ankles, gout and diabetes. Should he fail to put in any appearance today, the rumour mill is likely to shift up several gears.