SEOUL– The unification ministry is keeping an eye on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health but currently has nothing to say about any unusual signs amid speculation that he has significantly lost weight, an official said Thursday.
A news report earlier said that Kim appears to have lost a “significant amount of weight” based on the analysis that his wrist watch seems to have been fastened tighter around his wrist during a politburo session of the ruling party last week.
“The ministry is analyzing photos when Kim Jong-un’s public activities are reported … but we have nothing to say about his health issues, and it is not our place to openly comment on it,” the official said.
Kim’s 20-day absence last year also sparked worldwide speculation over his health and even the possibility of his death. That speculation was soon dismissed when he reappeared at a ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer factory with a broad smile in early May.
Source: Yonhap News Agency