That Kim Jong-un is carrying a few extra pounds has been obvious since he became North Korea\u2019s leader in late 2011. But speculation that his increasing weight \u2013 apparently partly due to a weakness for cheese \u2013 has brought on debilitating spells of gout rose dramatically this week, after he failed to attend an important parliamentary session.<\/p>\n
Rumours that Kim, reputedly a heavy smoker, is in less than robust health surfaced earlier this year when state TV footage showed him with a pronounced limp and looking noticeably bulkier than he did during his first few months as leader.<\/p>\n
On Friday, North Korean authorities, in a rare display of openness about their leader\u2019s health, admitted for the first time that Kim was suffering from an \u201cuncomfortable physical condition\u201d, although they did not confirm rumours that the 31-year-old, Swiss-educated leader was suffering from gout.<\/p>\n
State media issued the brief comment on Kim\u2019s physical condition after he failed to appear at a session of the supreme people\u2019s assembly \u2013 North Korea\u2019s national legislature, where leaders would normally be expected to make an appearance.<\/p>\n
In a one-hour documentary aired on Thursday that showed a limping Kim visiting a factory near Pyongyang, the narrator said: \u201cThe wealth and prosperity of our socialism is thanks to the painstaking efforts of our marshal, who keeps lighting the path for the people, like the flicker of a flame, despite suffering discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim\u2019s three-week public absence comes months after he was shown limping, and wearing loose clothes, during inspections of military units and factories.<\/p>\n
His last appearance was on 3 September, when Kim, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju, was shown sitting in the front-row seats at a concert by the North Korean girl group the Moranbong Band.<\/p>\n
Despite his love of baseball and basketball \u2013 evident in his friendship with the former NBA star Dennis Rodman \u2013 Kim is not known for his sporting prowess beyond occasional outings on horseback. South Korea\u2019s Joongang Ilbo newspaper charitably speculated that his limp had been caused by a sports injury, but Yonhap suggested that the portly dictator\u2019s health problems were more serious.<\/p>\n
The South Korean news agency quoted a source said to be familiar with North Korean affairs as saying that Kim was suffering from gout, diabetes and high blood pressure. Kim Il-sung, Kim\u2019s grandfather and North Korea\u2019s founder, and his father Kim Jong-il both suffered from gout, as does his elder brother, Kim Jong-nam.<\/p>\n
Yonhap\u2019s source said that a North Korean medical team had visited Germany and Switzerland, where Kim is thought to have been educated, to consult colleagues about his health issues.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s unification ministry said on Friday that it was monitoring Kim \u201cwith various possibilities in mind, including the rumours about health problems\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speculation is mounting that Kim, who may have been trying to gain weight to resemble his revered grandfather, was paying the price for his penchant for alcohol and rich food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a physician, and even if I were, I probably would not be his. That said, his lifestyle \u2013 the weight gain, smoking, and extreme stress do not help,\u201d said Daniel Pinkston, deputy project director for the North East Asian programme at the International Crisis Group.<\/p>\n
Pinkston said he believed Kim\u2019s most loyal supporters were likely to be \u201csympathetic\u201d and wish him a speedy recovery. However, if his condition proves serious, it could trigger instability \u2013 the threat of which could affect his treatment, especially if it involved surgery, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cDictators are very suspicious of potential challengers, and of course, they are vulnerable when sedated,\u201d said Pinkston. \u201cNotice that his grandfather never got his tumour removed from his neck\u201d.<\/p>\n
It is not the first time that Kim Jong-un has disappeared from public view. He was absent from TV broadcasts for 21 days in March 2012 and for a slightly longer period in June that year. Early last year he was out of the public eye for 18 days.<\/p>\n
Some analysts were sceptical about rumours surrounding Kim\u2019s health. \u201cKim Jong-un\u2019s failure to attend yesterday\u2019s [supreme people\u2019s assembly] meeting does not necessarily indicate he has a health problem,\u201d said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership and contributor to the 38 North website.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis father often skipped these legislative meetings. On the other hand, Kim Jong-un has not made any observed public appearances since 3 September, which is somewhat unusual for him. Also, unlike his father, there were no reports in state media that he participated in any on-site inspections or visits, which we used to see with Kim Jong-il even when the old man\u2019s health was precarious.\u201d<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: The Guardian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
That Kim Jong-un is carrying a few extra pounds has been obvious since he became North Korea\u2019s leader in late 2011. But speculation that his increasing weight \u2013 apparently partly due to a weakness for cheese \u2013 has brought on debilitating spells of gout rose dramatically this week, after he failed to attend an important […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":51552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\n