New photos show dramatic weight loss of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pictures released by the state media show the politician looking even slimmer, with some Western outlets claiming he barely looks like the person who came to power in the reclusive state in 2012 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
Reports say the North Korean leader weighed 308 pounds (139 kilograms) last year, but thanks to healthier habits, which allegedly involved diet and refusal of alcohol, he managed to lose 44 pounds (20 kilograms) in 2021. South Korean media wrote that Kim shed weight thanks to having a gastric band. Other outlets contended that the dramatic weight loss is the result of a disease.
Last year, Kim Jong-un prompted wild speculation about his health after he disappeared for weeks and missed the country’s biggest and most important holiday: the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea. Due to the secrecy North Korea has been shrouded in since its formation, outlets worldwide have been engaged in a guessing game about Kim Jong-un’s health, with some claiming he died after a surgery went wrong.
Pictures released by the state-run media appear to suggest otherwise. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the politician, who is now in his late 30s, has opened a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party this week. Details about the agenda of this year’s meeting have not been released, with local media only writing that participants will "discuss and decide on strategic and tactical policies and tasks for action" needed to take "the next step" in the country’s development.
It is widely expected that major announcements in domestic and foreign policy will be made during this week’s event, as historically it was used for such occasions.