Kim Jong-un hasn't been able to eat his favourite meals due to the border closure implemented amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Metro.
In December, Kim Jong-un was photographed at a meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), where participants discussed the implementation of the party's policy in 2021, as well as development strategy for the next year amid the ongoing economic crisis there. According to the photographs published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the head of state has lost an unprecedented amount of weight over the recent months.
Meanwhile, mass media outlets have long speculated about Kim Jong-un's diet, saying that he likes high-calorie foods and luxurious meals, vodka, Hennessy Cognac, and champagne. Some reports also said that Kim Jong-un has been "addicted" to Swiss cheese ever since his studies in Switzerland. Others claimed that the North Korean leader gained weight in an effort to be like his father and grandfather.
"We know that he has good sources, he enjoys cheese, he's a heavy drinker, he has access to all junk foods", North Korea expert Dr Sojin Lim told Metro. "But because of these border closures, the way he brings all these foods into North Korea will have been cut. So he doesn't have the same variety anymore".
He also suggested that Kim Jong-un "can't sustain his figure as a fat person because in the domestic environment people are starving" so it was important to show his people that he "suffers" with them.
"Because of his cult of personality and propaganda, all of his image is crafted – nothing is natural", Dr Lim said. "Kim Jong-un's look is more about people at home, not about the powers outside. It's more about how he can manage inside at the moment".
At the same time, some reports speculated that Kim Jong-un is just trying to adhere to proper nutrition, as his obesity could be the reason he allegedly underwent heart surgery in April of last year.
Observers have calculated that since coming to power in 2011, Kim Jong-un had been gaining six-seven kilos every year, and in 2020 weighed 140 kilogrammes.