FILE – In this group photo released by Russian state news agency Sputnik, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a reception by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Mongnangwan reception house in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. (Credit: VLADIM
North Korean North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gained weight and is facing obesity-related problems. health Health problems have prompted health officials to seek new drugs abroad to treat him, a South Korean spy agency told lawmakers on Monday.
Some of the health issues that plague Kim include high blood pressure and diabetes.
The 40-year-old leader is known for his excessive drinking and smoking. Kim comes from a family with a history of heart problems and both his father and grandfather died of heart problems.
According to some observers, Kim appeared to have lost weight in 2021 after a change in diet, but recent state media footage shows he has regained the weight.
On Monday, the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s top spy agency, told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that Kim weighed about 140 kilograms (308 pounds) and belonged to a high-risk group for heart disease, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers.
Lee said the NIS informed lawmakers that Kim had shown symptoms of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early 30s. Another lawmaker, Park Sunwon, said the NIS believed Kim’s obesity was linked to his drinking, smoking and stress.
Lee and Park cited the NIS as saying it had obtained intelligence that North Korean officials had tried to obtain new medications from abroad for Kim’s suspected high blood pressure and diabetes.
Kim’s health has attracted particular interest outside North Korea because he has yet to formally choose a successor to take over if he becomes incapacitated.
In its briefing on Monday, the NIS speculated that Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, 10, was likely cementing her status as her father’s heir.
State media called her Kim Jong-un’s “most beloved” or “most respected” child and released footage and photos proving her growing political standing and closeness to her father.
The NIS told lawmakers that at least 60 percent of Kim Ju Ae’s public activities involved attending military events with her father.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This article was originally published in Los Angeles.
