North Korea seems to be struggling with its economics more than ever now, having been shut out by China, Russia and other countries during the last year. Some think the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) of the Korean Workers Party might have decided to take the power away from Kim and into their own hands, perhaps because Kim might have refused a closer cooperation with archenemy South Korea:
https://news.vice.com/article/why-a-very-specific-kind-of-coup-may-explain-kim-jong-uns-disappearance"An elite group of exiles from North Korea gathered in September in the Netherlands to discuss the state of the regime they used to serve. The conference included top diplomats, an ex-senior official of the Ministry of Security, and a high-ranking military officer, but the keynote address was given by Jang Jin-sung, formerly a key member of Kim Jong-il's propaganda machine. Included in Jang's speech was a surprising assertion: North Korea is in the midst of a civil war." More here:
https://news.vice.com/article/former-top-official-says-kim-jong-un-is-no-longer-in-control-of-north-korea
