Story highlights New photos are released of the North Korean leader

A U.S. spokesman cannot confirm the authenticity of a KCNA report

Kim Jong Un hasn't been seen in public since early September

His disappearance from the public eye has fueled rampant speculation

(CNN) North Korean state media has attempted to end the international speculation about the whereabouts of leader Kim Jong Un by publishing the first photos of him in more than a month.

The North Korean leader gave "field guidance" to a newly built residential district and visited the Natural Energy Institute of the State Academy of Sciences, state news agency KCNA reported Tuesday.

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Kim hadn't been seen in public since he reportedly attended a concert with his wife on September 3. It's his longest absence from official events since he made his first public appearance in 2010, according to NK News, a website devoted to analyzing North Korea.

In the undated photos, Kim was surrounded by officials and could be seen walking with a cane. He was smiling and didn't appear, in the photos at least, to be in pain.

Before his disappearance, Kim was seen limping, prompting theories that he was suffering everything from weight gain to gout.

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