MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has undergone an ankle fracture surgery in Pyongyang and currently remains in hospital, South Korea's The Chosun Ilbo reported Tuesday.
"I heard that Kim Jong Un injured his right ankle in June after pushing ahead with on-site visits and ended up fracturing both ankles because he left the injury unattended," a source familiar with the situation was quoted by The Chosun Ilbo as saying.
Kim Jong Un had his surgery performed in mid-September at the Bonghwa Clinic, a medical establishment designated for high-ranking officials.
According to the newspaper, Kim Jong Un is also suffering from obesity, which along with reported binge drinking, might have caused gout. This, however, was denied by a government official, who said that Kim Jong Un would not have missed the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang just because of gout.
Despite the surgery, Kim Jong Un is reported to remain flanked by bodyguards, who are exercising strict control over his ward.
Kim Jong Un became the leader of North Korea in 2012 succeeding his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011. Before becoming supreme leader, he held a number of positions, including Central Military Commission chairman and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
