Experts say the slimmed-down figure of the North Korean leader is a symbol of his understanding of the country’s famine. Showing up for the military parade in honor of the country’s anniversary on Thursday, Kim was photographed maskless, posing with children without any social distancing and remarkably slimmer than he used to be.
Since his father Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack in 2011 giving all powers to Kim Jong-Un, the latter has kept on gaining weight.
According to NK News, the leader weighed around 90kg when he took over from his dad and gained an average of 6 to 7kg a year since then.
A known smoker, Mr. Kim is 5ft 7in (174cm) and weighed as much as 140kg in 2020.
Last April, CNN reported that he was in “grave danger” after he underwent heart surgery to the extent that some suggested he had died.
His late father and he might suffer from the same genetic predisposition according to Michael Madden to Sky News, an expert on North Korean leadership.
He suggested that the politician had gout, brought on by his diet and his predisposition to cardiovascular issues.
Back in June, tightly controlled state media reported the leader looked “emaciated” to the extent that the nation was worried about his slimmer silhouette.
From his international point of view, Korea specialist Christopher Green, from Leiden University in the Netherlands, said the over-promotion of Kim Jong-Un’s weight loss was a way to show solidarity with his people who have been enduring food shortages worse than before since the start of Covid.
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Fireworks and choreographed military routines are also a way to unite the Nation even though parts of the country suffer from famine.
Kim Jong-Un himself acknowledged that the country was facing a food shortage back in June during a public meeting with senior leaders following a year of devastating rainfall.