| In this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Dec. 29, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a plenary session of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Dec. 28. Yonhap |
By Yoon Ja-young
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, seems to be have reached his lowest weight in at least the past few years.
In a photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Dec. 29, Kim was wearing a black suit with a white button-down shirt and silver tie, while attending a plenary session of the Workers' Party.
The photo immediately drew attention, as there was some space between his neck and the shirt. Previously, he has rarely worn button-down shirts and even if he has, they looked very tight around the neck.
Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported in a parliamentary audit in October that Kim had shed around 20 kilograms compared to 2019, when he weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds). However, he seems to be even slimmer, compared to in October, when there was no space between his neck and shirt. In fact, his neck even seemed to be covering part of the collar. While there is a possibility that Kim switched to a bigger shirt size, his jawline has indeed become sharper.
| This photo released by North Korea's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Oct. 10, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending a military parade. Yonhap |
Even the North Korean media acknowledges that Kim Jong-un has become slimmer.
In June, the official Korean Central Television quoted a Pyongyang resident saying that every North Korean is heartbroken to see their leader had become "emaciated." The report led to speculation that Kim might have some health problem, which Seoul's NIS negated. Some also speculated that the person appearing in the North Korean media is actually Kim's impostor, citing the change in his appearance, but the NIS confirmed that it is Kim, after scientific analysis based on AI.
The 37-year-old leader is estimated to measure 170 centimeters in height. He is known to have maintained his weight at around 70 kilograms when he was younger, but he gained weight quickly after taking control of the regime at the age of 27.
Overeating, alcohol and stress have been cited as reasons for his weight gain, with the NIS reporting in 2016 that Kim had drinking parties three to four times a week. Among the various speculations about Kim, a U.K. media outlet reported in 2014 that Emmental cheese, to which Kim had gotten addicted while studying in Switzerland, is behind his obesity.
Others, however, believe that Kim gained weight on purpose, to remind the North Korean people under his control of his late grandfather Kim Il-sung, giving them the impression that he is a strong leader, despite his young age.