South Korea's spy agency says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has regained weight and has obesity-related health problems including high blood pressure and diabetes.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has regained weight and appears to have obesity-related health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and his officials are looking for new medicines abroad to treat them, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Monday.

The 40-year-old Kim, known for heavy drinking and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart problems. Both his father and grandfather, who ruled North Korea before his 2011 inheritance of power, died of heart issues.

Some observers said Kim, who is about 170 centimeters (5 feet, 8 inches) tall and previously weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds), appeared to have lost a large amount of weight in 2021, likely from changing his diet. But recent state media footage show he has regained the weight.

  • eldaviEnglish
    331·
    4 months ago

    Some observers said Kim, who is about 170 centimeters (5 feet, 8 inches) tall and previously weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds), appeared to have lost a large amount of weight in 2021, likely from changing his diet. But recent state media footage show he has regained the weight.

    seeing him on tv and news article photos made me think that i was significantly fatter than kim; but it’s all in photography, apparently.

    • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      101·
      4 months ago

      I think the North Korean method of losing weight is called “not be a party member and fucking starving to death”. Seems to work.

  • wagesj45@kbin.run
    211·
    4 months ago

    Just imagine being that guy’s doctor, having to give him bad news with potentially no cure. That has to be nerve wracking.

    • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      61·
      4 months ago

      In South Korea, doctors there have a very bad habit of not telling patients that they are dying or there is no cure. At least according to my parents and a few friends who immigrated from there.

      I don’t know how it is in North Korea but I can’t it being any better.

  • Allonzee@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    4 months ago

    I’m kind of surprised by this.

    You’d think he would have been popping Ozempic like candy since it came out.

    I never thought sanctions and embargos were so all encompassing and effective to such a spectacularly granular degree that it literally effected the despotic leader’s creature comforts and not just their people.

    As an example, despite any embargo, I’d expect Putin would be able to get any expensive Kentucky Bourbon he wants flown in via secondary channels while his people suffer.

  • Media Bias Fact Checker@lemmy.worldBEnglish
    1011·
    4 months ago
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