Kim Jong-Un
Kim Jong-UnReuters

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un has made his first public appearance for more than a month, AFP reported on Monday night, citing state media which said the leader visited a new housing complex in Pyongyang.

It marked the first time Kim has been seen since early September an extended absence that fuelled intense speculation, including rumors of a serious illness or even a coup.

The North's official KCNA news agency said Kim made a "field guidance" tour of the new residential complex specially built for scientists working on North Korea's satellite program.

"Looking over the exterior of the apartment houses and public buildings, decorated with diverse colored tiles, (Kim) expressed great satisfaction, saying they looked very beautiful," the agency said, according to AFP.

KCNA did not specify the date of the visit, but the agency usually reports such events the day after.

The brief dispatch made no mention of Kim's absence from the public eye and offered no insight into his physical wellbeing.

Kim, believed to be 30 or 31, dropped out of sight after attending a music concert with his wife in Pyongyang on September 3.

While there is precedent for a North Korean leader to "disappear" for a while, the absence was more noticeable with Kim who has maintained a particularly pervasive media presence since coming to power after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011.

Competing theories for his disappearance ranged 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.

The rumors multiplied after Kim failed to attend a major political anniversary event on Friday, at which other top leaders were present.

The United States’ National Security Adviser Susan Rice said on Sunday there's "no indication" that Kim is no longer in power.

"Obviously, we are watching very carefully what's happening in North Korea. It's a country that we monitor with great attention," Rice said in response to a question on whether she was convinced that Kim Jong-Un is still the leader of North Korea.

"We have not seen any indications of a transfer of power at this point in North Korea that we view as definitive," she added. "But we'll continue to watch it carefully."