SEOUL, South Korea — The health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has long been a source of morbid fascination in rival South Korea, which sits in the shadow of Kim’s 1.2 million-strong army and his growing arsenal of nuclear-armed missiles.
Has he gained even more weight? Is he struggling for breath after relatively short walks? What about that cane? Why did he miss that important state anniversary?
Now, the 37-year-old faces speculation in the South about his health again. But this time, it’s because he’s noticeably slimmer.
Kim’s health matters in Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and other world capitals because he hasn’t publicly anointed a successor who would control an advancing nuclear program. North Korea, never open about the internal workings of its leadership, has over the last year shut itself up even tighter to protect against the coronavirus pandemic.
In recent state media images, including those published Wednesday, Kim appeared to have lost weight. The strap on his fancy watch is tighter, and his face thinner. Some observers say Kim — who is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and has previously weighed 308 pounds — may have lost 22 to 44 pounds.
Kim’s apparent weight loss is more likely an attempt to improve his health, rather than a sign of illness, according to Hong Min, a senior analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification.
“If he was experiencing health problems, he wouldn’t have come out in public to convene the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee,” a major political conference this week, Hong said.
Kim, known for heavy drinking and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart problems. His father and grandfather, who ruled North Korea before him, both died of heart issues.
Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies said the North’s recent creation of a first secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party, the country’s No. 2 job, might have been related to Kim’s possible health issues.
