The gravestone of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's maternal grandfather Ko Kyong-taek, which was recently discovered on Jeju, has vanished from the site. A descendant apparently moved it due to the media exposure.

Ko Kyong-taek's gravestone had disappeared on Jan. 29, but those of other members of the clan remain in place.

Police interviewed the Ko clan about the disappearance and found that a grandson of Ko's eld er brother moved the gravestone to a property on another part of the island.

Police cited the grandson, who asked to remain anonymous, as saying the family felt "tremendous pressure" following the news reports and feared the gravestone could be harmed. He added that he did not know of the relationship between his family and the North Korean leader.