Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has repeatedly showcased his country’s nuclear capabilities, is now drawing global attention over his own health. A recent assessment by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) claims that Kim’s weight has exceeded 140 kilograms, placing him in a high-risk category for serious heart disease. The report has once again intensified international discussion about the condition of the North Korean supreme leader.
The NIS estimates that Kim is “extremely obese,” and says his current physical condition exposes him to the risk of serious heart and blood vessel diseases. Citing information from the intelligence agency, South Korean lawmaker Yoon Kun-young said Kim is also a longtime smoker. However, the agency noted that there is currently no visible impact on his work or normal activities. According to the report, Kim continues to climb stairs and walk briskly, while a special medical team is constantly present to monitor his health.
Concern over his health is particularly acute because North Korea’s power structure is largely based on one-man leadership. If his health deteriorates suddenly or an unexpected situation arises, the transition of power and the country’s stability could be called into question. As North Korea is a nuclear-armed state, any uncertainty over its leadership is viewed seriously by the international community.
This is not the first time speculation has surfaced about Kim’s health. In 2020, he missed an important event marking the birth anniversary of his grandfather and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, and subsequently went unseen in public for nearly 20 days. Media outlets around the world then reported that he was seriously ill and in poor health after surgery. Those rumours were put to rest when he later appeared at public events. His family history is also frequently discussed, as his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung were both obese smokers who died of heart attacks, prompting experts to treat Kim’s current condition with great caution.
The latest assessment comes as North Korea has faced economic difficulties, international sanctions and a food crisis for years. UN special rapporteur on North Korea Elizabeth Salmon said this year that food shortages remain a major humanitarian concern in the country. Meanwhile, Paul Smart, executive chef at the Metropole Hotel, who worked with Kim’s personal chefs during the 2019 US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, claimed that Kim has a fondness for expensive and luxury cuisine such as caviar, lobster and foie gras. The NIS assessment also arrives at a time when Kim continues to pursue military activities and weapons programmes.