Officials in North Korea seek medicine for Kim Jong Un’s health problems related to obesity, Seoul says

SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong Un is extra overweight than ever, and his deputies are in search of international medicines to deal with him for hypertension and diabetes, South Korean officers mentioned Tuesday.

“He may have been affected by medical circumstances which might be tough to take care of the at the moment out there drugs,” South Korean lawmakers Lee Seong-Kwuen and Park Sunwon mentioned at a joint briefing, quoting Seoul’s spy company, the Nationwide Intelligence Service, or NIS.

Kim, 40, weighs about 308 kilos, they mentioned, including that the company believes it’s his heaviest ever. That places him at a “excessive threat” of coronary heart illness, they mentioned, including that he has been displaying indicators of hypertension and diabetes since his early 30s.

“We concluded that his well being points are probably on account of stress, smoking and consuming,” the NIS was quoted as saying by Lee, of the ruling Folks Energy celebration, and Park, of the opposition Democratic celebration.

If the circumstances are left untreated, they added, Kim may very well be affected by hereditary cardiovascular ailments, as each a grandfather and his father, who dominated the reclusive communist regime earlier than him, died of coronary heart points. 

Kim was in search of “different medicinal substances,” the lawmakers mentioned, which has prompted hypothesis that he was affected by circumstances that can’t be handled instantly.

Kim, whom the NIS beforehand estimated to be 5 ft, 7 inches tall, appeared to have misplaced about 44 kilos simply three years in the past.

State media video on the time additionally confirmed a leaner Kim, elevating issues about his well being, however observers mentioned the burden loss was more than likely on account of a eating regimen change by Kim, who wished to enhance his physique and improve public loyalty.

However current video confirmed Kim has more than likely regained weight.

Whereas there is no such thing as a manner for outsiders to know Kim’s precise well being, Seoul’s spy company has relied on synthetic intelligence strategies and forensic video evaluation to research his situation. 

Kim’s well being stays a high concern overseas, as he has not formally anointed a successor within the nuclear-armed nation, which is growing its confrontation with the U.S. and its treaty ally South Korea. He has additionally been bolstering his persona cult, making an attempt to cement his standing because the ruler of the regime and win public assist amid financial woes.

Regardless of the dearth of a proper announcement, the NIS believes Kim’s preteen daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is more than likely the inheritor obvious, with most of her public appearances involving attending army actions along with her father.

She is believed to be 10 or 11 years previous and first appeared in 2022 alongside Kim as they watched an intercontinental ballistic missile check and subsequently attended a large army parade.

Nonetheless, the NIS says, it’s potential she may be changed by her different siblings.

Stella Kim reported from Seoul and Mithil Aggarwal from Hong Kong.