North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has fallen into a coma, a former South Korean official is claiming on the heels of reports that the northern leader has ceded over some of his power to his younger sister.

Chang Song-min, a former aide to late-South Korean president Kim Dae-jung, has alleged that the Hermit Kindom’s honcho has become seriously ill amid speculation about his limited public appearances this year, the Mirror reported.

“I assess him to be in a coma, but his life has not ended,” he told South Korean media.

The former aide added that the leader’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was poised to help lead the country.