by STEVE HAN
It’s no secret that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is overweight. Since taking power of the world’s most secretive regime in 2011, he seems to have gained even more weight. The 31-year-old cheese connoisseur and heavy smoker was last seen limping on North Korea’s state-run TV before disappearing from public view, fueling rumors that he was suffering from gout.
It has since been revealed that the North Korean leader is indeed ill, according to authorities in North Korea. In a rare display of openness from the hermit country, authorities revealed that Kim is suffering from an “uncomfortable physical condition.”
The specifics of Kim’s illness weren’t revealed, and the rumor that he is suffering from gout wasn’t confirmed. The state media only briefly commented that its leader didn’t appear at North Korea’s national legislature assembly due to his health conditions. Kim has not made a public appearance in over three weeks since he was seen limping in loose clothes last month alongside his wife Ri Sol-ju.
Although South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo initially speculated that Kim’s limp was caused by a sports injury, national news wire service Yonhap News Agency reported that the dictator has more serious health problems, citing a source to suggest that he was suffering from gout, diabetes and high blood pressure—conditions often associated with obesity and drinking.
A North Korean medical team had reportedly visited Germany and Switzerland in recent weeks to consult experts about Kim’s health.
