South Korean intelligence officials told lawmakers they believe that North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un did not undergo heart surgery as reported by some local and international media outlets but instead avoided the public eye due to concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic.Following a briefing by Seoul’s National Intelligence Service to the parliamentary intelligence committee, lawmaker Kim Byung-kee told reporters that the NIS assesses that Kim Jong Un “did not undergo any heart-related procedure” and had “conducted state affairs as usual” throughout his recent three-week absence with particular attention placed on preventing the spread of COVID-19, ensuring economic stability and maintaining military readiness.North Korean authorities have insisted that there have been no recorded instances of the new coronavirus disease that has infected more than 3.5 million people around the world, but Kim Byung-kee said the NIS did not rule out the possibility of an outbreak there.The NIS took note of the fact that Kim Jong Un has only made 17 public appearances so far, a reduction of 66 percent from this same time last year, something the spy agency attributed to concerns related to “the COVID-19 situation.”Kim Jong Un’s three-week absence first garnered attention when he did not appear…