North Korea leader 'appears in public'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his first public appearance since 3 September, the BBC reported, citing the country's official news agency.

The KCNA agency said on Tuesday that Mr Kim "gave field guidance" at a newly-built scientists' residential district.

Rodong Sinmun daily newspaper carried several photographs of Mr Kim using a walking stick as he inspected the site.

The absence of the 32-year-old leader has prompted a flurry of speculation about his health.

Some have even questioned if he remains in control of the state.

Official media have cited unspecified personal "discomfort" as grounds for Mr Kim's absence from public view.

On Sunday, North Korea's ambassador to London told the BBC that Mr Kim was in good health.

The desire of state-run media to end speculation about Mr Kim also indicates he has not been the victim of a coup, says the BBC's Steve Evans in the South Korean capital, Seoul.