In any a part of the planet , if you lose a drastic amount of weight, two things happen: People either discuss it to go with you, or they ask you about your transformation secret. In North Korea , if you’re the leader of the country and you reduce , you spark controversy, worry your citizen and have even international media documenting your weight loss. At a recent North Korean parade showcasing military dogs and virus workers in orange hazmat suits, leader Kim Jong Un still stood out by looking thinner and more energetic than he has in years. Kim, wearing a cream suit and a shiny white tie, emerged because the clock struck midnight. He beamed in response to thunderous applause from performers and spectators filling Pyongyang’s brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square, named after his grandfather and founding father of the state on its 73rd anniversary. He smiled, waved to the gang and kissed children who presented him with flowers before taking his spot on a balcony to watch the parade. He laughed vigorously and applauded the marchers throughout the event, while chatting animatedly with senior officials.
This may seem very in tune with a country’s leader working at a national public event, but it had been a stark change from 2018, when TV footage showed him struggling to catch his breath while accompanying South Korean President Moon Jae-in on a brief hike to North Korea’s Mount Paektu during a period of diplomatic engagement.
Kim’s weight loss had first become noticeable in June, when he made his first public appearance in weeks to convene a ruling party meeting. Some North Korea watchers then said that Kim, who is about 170 centimeters (5 feet, 8 inches) tall and has previously weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds), may have lost 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds). Experts told AP that Kim’s weight loss is more likely a results of efforts to enhance his shape than an indicator of health problems, considering his regular public activity.
But why does the remainder of the planet care about his health? 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 targeting the us and its allies — if he’s incapacitated. North Korea, never open about the interior workings of its leadership, has over the last year shut itself up even tighter to guard against the coronavirus pandemic.
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. Experts have said his weight could increase the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases.
When the primary photos appeared in June, citizens of North Korea were heartbroken over leader Kim Jong Un’s apparent weight loss, an unidentified resident of Pyongyang told Reuters on the country’s tightly controlled state media, after watching recent video footage of Kim.
In August, with a dark spot also as a bandage at the rear of his head during several public events last month, consistent with NK News site. The reports also mention that Kim Jong Un appeared at events of the Korean People’s Army from July 24 to July 27 and was also seen in footage of a war veterans conference and related programmes from July 27 to July 29. During these events, Kim had a bruise at the rear of his head. the pictures from these events show Kim Jong Un without the bandage about the dimensions of a couple of postage stamps and in some a dark greenish spot or bruise on his head might be seen, reported NK News.
The cause or nature of the massive , dark green spot or bruise on the rear right side of his head, which was covered with a bandage in some footage, remains unknown and is difficult to diagnose using only images,” it said. NK News also said that the mark on Kim Jong Un’s head wasn’t seen at a politburo meeting on Saints Peter and Paul or in photos from an appearance with musicians on July 11, where it didn’t show the rear of his head.
Early last year speculation about Kim’s health exploded after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, only to reappear publicly in early May. In 2014, state media reported that Kim was affected by “discomfort”, after a protracted period out of the general public eye.
His drastic weight change could just be for political and lifestyle: “Considering the North’s form of government , where the supreme leader decides everything, Kim’s health is a particularly important security matter,” Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korea studies at Seoul’s Ewha Woman’s University told AP. “It’s likely there have been internal concerns that he was overweight, and it might are important for Kim to scale back those concerns and present himself as a young and healthy leader who’s capable of doing things.”
