The Secretive State of North Korea has for the first time publicly admitted that leader, Kim Jong Un has lost weight.
There were reports last year that Kim had surgery and was in a dire financial state, reports the NK government denied.
However, over the weekend North Korean state television aired an unusual interview in which a Pyongyang resident said he and others living in the capital were “heartbroken” to see that the country’s tyrant leader Kim Jong Un had lost so much weight.
In recent weeks, North Korean media has shown Kim looking noticeably thinner.
Pyongyang has not officially acknowledged any changes to Kim’s weight or health, so the new interview is the most official confirmation to date of the secretive North Korean leader’s sudden change of appearance.
In the interview the unnamed individual told a reporter from KCTV, North Korea’s state-run television network, that “the people, including myself, were most heartbroken when we saw the respected General Secretary (Kim Jong Un’s official title) looking gaunt … everyone says it brought them to tears.”
The interview was aired just once, meaning it’s also possible the interview didn’t receive official blessing from North Korean superiors as the country often reruns newscasts instead of constantly producing live programming.
Kim’s health is a closely guarded secret in North Korea, whose leaders always believe there is the possibility of an impending invasion or regime change. The country is still technically at war with the United States and South Korea.
In North Korea discussing a rumour about the health of Kim Jong Un can get you in trouble with the state’s security services.