North Korea Admits Kim Jong Un Has Lost Weight

Image: KCTV, June 22, 2021 (edited by NK News) | Kim Jong Un walking into a recent concert by the Band of the State Affairs Commission  

VOA: North Korea Admits Kim Jong Un Lost Weight  

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - North Korean state television has acknowledged Kim Jong Un’s apparent weight loss, even admitting that the leader’s health is a subject of concern in Pyongyang. 

The admission was broadcast during an interview with a North Korea resident on state-run Korean Central Television, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. 

"The people were most heartbroken to see the respected general secretary looking thinner," the resident said in the interview broadcast Friday. 

"Everyone is saying that they are moved to tears.”  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I was originally skeptical of reports early this month that he had lost a lot weight. But looking at the above picture. Wow! He definitely has lost a lot of weight. 

More News On North Korea Admitting That Kim Jong Un Has Lost Weight

North Koreans worry over 'emaciated' Kim Jong Un, state media says -- Reuters

N.K. resident voice concerns over Kim's weight loss -- Yonhap  

Kim Jong-un health crisis: ‘Emaciated’ NK leader sparks panic with dramatic weight loss -- Daily Express   

'Emaciated' Kim Jong-un Leaves 'Everyone' in North Korea Heartbroken, State Media Claims -- Sputnik

Has North Korean Leader Lost Weight?

Kim Jong-un in a photograph on the left taken in July 2020, and one released on Saturday 5 June suggesting he has lost weight.

The Guardian: Kim Jong-un: apparent weight loss prompts speculation over North Korean leader’s health 

Kim looks noticeably slimmer in his first public appearance for a month, highlighting possible health issues over weight and lifestyle 

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has prompted more speculation about his health after recent photographs suggested he had lost weight. 

 Kim, whose heavy frame has drawn global interest since he became the country’s leader almost a decade ago, looked noticeably trimmer in images released by state media on Saturday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. 

NK News, which analysed photos of Kim addressing a ruling party politburo meeting late last week – his first public appearance for a month – said he appeared to have lost a “significant amount of weight”.  

Read more .... 

 Update: It Looks Like North Korea's Kim Jong Un Might Have Lost Weight (Business Insider)  

WNU Editor: He still looks fat to me. In the meantime North Korea is facing severe food shortages .... Why North Korea is facing a major food shortage that could lead to the death of millions (The Telegraph).

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Personal Health Is The Biggest Threat To His Power

People think I’m joking when I say Kim Jong Un’s health is the biggest risk to his rule. I’m not. Look at this: https://t.co/cTRxrMzsoE

— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 12, 2021

ABC News (Australia): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health is the biggest threat to his power — and his sister's only shot at succession 

The United States is about to deploy its diplomatic and military heft to the Korean peninsula to re-set relations after fours years of Donald Trump's highly unusual approach to the region. 

Although meetings with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un do not form part of the itinerary, his metaphorical shadow looms large over the trip as the Americans and South Koreans discuss how to get him back to the negotiating table. 

Mr Kim is the third in his family to hold the title of Supreme Leader of North Korea and, at just 37 years old, he could potentially rule for several more decades. 

But some experts believe his preference for expensive champagne, imported cheese, Russian vodka and cigarettes are the greatest threat to the Kim Jong Un dynasty. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: He has definitely gained a lot of weight in the past decade. That is what happens for many when life is good.

Who Is The New Woman In North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's Life?

Kim Jong-un's former pop star lover has increasingly been seen at the dictator's side - fuelling speculation that she has usurped his sister in the eyes of the supreme leader. Hyon Song-wol (above in 2015), 43, who is the lead singer of all-women group Moranbong Band, has frequently accompanied Kim, 36, on official trips and a military parade this month 

Daily Mail: The battle of Kim Jong-un's women: North Korean leader's pop-star ex – who had a hit with Excellent Horse-Like Lady - may have usurped the leader's sister in the power stakes as his wife steps aside 

 * Hyon Song-wol, 43, lead singer of all-women group Moranbong Band, has often accompanied Kim, 36, on official trips and a military parade this month 

 * Leader's younger sister Kim Yo-jong has been out of public view for over a month - prompting fears her rise to prominence has gone too far for North Korea's liking 

 * Kim Jong-un's wife Ri Jol-su has also been out of sight since January, leading to speculation she could have had another child 

Kim Jong-un's former pop star lover has increasingly been seen at the dictator's side - fuelling speculation that she has usurped his sister in the eyes of the supreme leader. 

Hyon Song-wol, 43, who is the lead singer of all-women group Moranbong Band, has frequently accompanied Kim, 36, on official trips and a military parade this month. 

The singer - who enjoyed chart success with hits including Excellent Horse-Like Lady, I Love Pyongyang and She is a Discharged Soldier - appears to have taken on duties previously performed by the leader's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong. 

Read more .... 

Update #1: Sister left out in the cold as Kim picks up with his pop princess (The Australian/The Times) 

Update #2: Kim Jong Un’s mystery woman sparks debate as sister, wife remain missing (NYPost)

WNU Editor: Both of them have known each other for a long time. Nothing has really changed in North Korea's upper circle.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Cries During Speech At Military Parade

 

The Guardian: Kim Jong-un sheds tears as he delivers rare apology to North Korea over failings 

Analysts say emotional speech suggests Kim is feeling pressures on his leadership linked to Covid and nuclear sanctions 

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, shed tears as he issued a rare apology for his failure to guide the country through tumultuous times exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak. 

Speaking at a huge military parade held at the weekend to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ party, Kim removed his glasses and wiped away tears – an indication, analysts say, of mounting pressure on his regime. 

“Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily,” he said, according to a translation of his comments in the Korea Times. 

“I am really sorry for that.” 

Read more .... 

 More News On North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Crying During Speech At Military Parade 

North Korea's Kim tearfully thanks troops, apologises for failures -- Reuters 

Kim Jong Un Cries During Public Speech Apologizing for Regime Failings -- Newsweek 

Kim apologises for N. Koreans' economic plight, thanks military -- Straits Times 

Watch Kim Jong-un Wipe Away Tears During Apology to North Koreans For Failing to Meet Their Needs -- Sputnik

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un Issues A Rare Apology To South Korea For The Killing Of A South Korean Official

BBC: Kim Jong-un apologises for killing of South Korean official - South

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has issued a rare personal apology for the killing of a South Korean official, Seoul says.

Mr Kim reportedly told South Korean leader Moon Jae-in that the "disgraceful affair" should not have happened.

South Korea has said the 47-year-old man was found by troops floating in the North's waters.

He was then shot dead and his body was set alight, according to Seoul.

It is not known what the man was doing there. The South Korean government has said he may have been trying to defect to the North but his family has denied this.

The killing - the first of a South Korean citizen by North Korean forces for a decade - has caused outrage in the South.

The border between the Koreas is tightly policed, and the North is thought to have a "shoot-to-kill" policy in place to prevent coronavirus from entering the country.

Read more ....

Update #1: Kim Jong Un apologizes in letter to Seoul for shooting of South Korean official (CNN)
Update #2: Kim Jong-un says sorry: Rare apology after South Korean is shot dead at sea and his body 'burned by the North's troops' as he tried to defect to the communist state (Daily Mail)

WNU Editor: I did not expect this "apology" from Kim Jong-un. This tells me that the North Korean leader does not want to close all of his doors with South Korea.

Is North Korean Leder Kim Jong-un Dead?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a political assembly meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in North Korea, in this photo released on August 14, 2020 by North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang. KCNA via REUTERS

Business Insider: Rumors about Kim Jong Un dying are going viral again, but experts say not to believe them

* Rumors are once again spreading that Kim Jong Un is dying, but experts say they're unfounded.
* The rumor began on Friday after a former South Korean minister said he had on good authority that the North Korean leader was in a coma.
* Since then, the claim has been carried by several notable English-language news outlets, and is trending on Twitter.
* However, multiple experts have poured cold water on the issue, noting that Kim has been conducting his official duties as normal and highlighting the sketchy nature of the original source.

A wild rumor that North Korean despot Kim Jong Un is dying is once again spreading across social media but experts are saying not to believe them.

On Friday, Jang Sung-min, a former South Korean minister, said that an unnamed source in China had told him that Kim was "in a coma" but "his life has not ended," according to the Korea Herald, a South Korean news outlet.

Speculation has abounded in the wake of the report, and social media has become abuzz with the rumor that Kim is dead or close to it. The Mirror and the New York Post both reported on the rumor that Kim was in a coma.

Read more ....

Update #1: North Korea's Kim Jong-un in a coma, diplomat says, claiming recent appearances 'faked' (National Post)
Update #2: North Korea U.S. policy on hold amid Kim Jong Un 'coma' rumors (UPI)

WNU Editor: If Kim Jong-un was dead we would have known about it within hours. You just cannot keep a secret like that for any length of time, even in a place like North Korea.

This Is How Experts Track North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

WNU Editor: His current state of health is still a mystery .... Amid mounting speculation, South Korea says Kim Jong Un is 'alive and well' (CNN).

Kim Jong-un Rides A White Horse Into The Sunset.

Kim Jong-un rides a white horse into the sunset... pic.twitter.com/FS79EzBSwY

— RT (@RT_com) January 4, 2020

WNU Editor: When I look at this video only one thing comes to my mind. He is really fat.

Japanese Report Is Saying that North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Slush Fund Is Running Out

Kim Jong-un calls for ‘positive & offensive’ measures to ensure N. Korea’s security amid stalled denuclearization talks with US

UPI: Kim Jong Un slush fund running out, report says

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A North Korean slush fund established exclusively for Kim Jong Un's use could be running out of money, according to a Japanese press report.

Tokyo Shimbun reported Monday "Fund No. 216," a stash of money the North Korean leader inherited from father Kim Jong Il, retains less than $1 billion.

When Kim Jong Un inherited the fund, it was worth about $4 billion to $5 billion. A North Korean source told the Japanese news service the cause of the decline in funds is international sanctions.

With less than $1 billion in No. 216, the assets are likely to be depleted within a year, the report says.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is nothing new. News reports were saying the same thing almost two years ago .... Kim Jong Un Slush Fund ‘Running Out’ as North Korea Tests Weapons Despite Sanctions (2018-01-25, Radio Free Asia).

North Korea's Kim Rides White Horse On Sacred Mountain To Send A 'Defiant Message'

Photo: North Korean state media have released a series of photos of Kim Jong-un on horseback in the snow. (Reuters: KCNA)

ABC News Online: Kim Jong-un rides white horse on sacred North Korean mountain in fresh propaganda photos

North Korean state media have released politically significant propaganda pictures of leader Kim Jong-un riding a white horse on the highest peak of the Korean peninsula, which is considered to be sacred by many Koreans.

Scenic images of Mr Kim riding the horse through snowy fields and woods of Mount Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, have his supporters convinced that the leader is planning a "great operation", according to North Korean state media.

It was unclear what the operation might involve, but Mr Kim had often reportedly made trips to the sacred mountain at times of major policy endeavours, including the 2013 execution of his powerful uncle and his 2018 entrance into diplomacy with Seoul and Washington.

Read more ....

More News On North Korea's Kim Riding A White Horse On Sacred Mountain

Kim rides horse on sacred peak, vows to fight US sanctions -- AP
'Defiant message' as North Korea's Kim rides white horse on sacred mountain -- France 24
Kim Jong Un shown 'horsing' around on snow-covered Mount Paektu -- UPI
Kim Jong-un: North Korean leader rides horse up sacred mountain -- BBC
'Defiant message' as North Korea's Kim rides white horse on sacred mountain -- Reuters
Kim's horseback ride spurs policy shift speculation -- AFP
North Korea's Kim rides white horse in show of sanctions defiance -- Al Jazeera

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Has An Eye For Fancy Watches

Watch specialists have identified a rare unisex watch on the dictator's wrist costing an eye-watering £10,000

Daily Mail: Kim Jong-un wore a banned £10,000 Portofino watch while overseeing missile test in defiance of sanctions against his North Korean regime

* Kim Jong-Un was wearing the IWC Portofino Automatic at a recent missile test
* The United Nations has banned luxury goods from entering North Korea
* The ban was imposed as a punishment for the state's nuclear weapons tests

Kim Jong-un has been photographed in a watch costing a staggering £10,000 in another brazen defiance of sanctions against his regime.

The UN banned luxury goods from entering North Korea to punish the rogue state for its nuclear weapons tests, with luxury watches among the specific items named.

But now watch specialists in neighbouring South Korea have identified a rare unisex watch on the dictator's wrist costing an eye-watering £10,000.

It comes as ordinary North Koreans face deepening food shortages, reportedly brought on by the worst drought in more than 35 years.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is good to be king.

How Did North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Get His $500,000 Mercedes (Video)?

WNU Editor: You can get anything and everything you want .... if you can and want to pay the price.

One of Kim Jong Il's armored Mercedes. Youtube Screencap

Warzone/The Drive: What Sanctions? Kim Jong Un Gets Another New Limo, This Time An S600 Mercedes-Maybach

The car is just more evidence that international sanctions have not crippled the regime or its ability to obtain luxury goods.

As many continue to claim international sanctions are crippling North Korea's economy and leaving the Kim regime starved of cash and luxury goods, we continue to get glaring indications otherwise. Case in point, Kim Jong Un being filmed rolling around Pyongyang in yet another new super high-end limousine. Last time it was a Rolls Royce Phantom, this time it's a late body armored Mercedes-Maybach S600. The revelation comes just weeks before another summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump will be held, one in which the North Koreans are demanding sanctions relief before proceeding with nuclear disarmament to any tangible degree.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Nice set of wheels.

North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un's New Year's Speech

Daily Mail: Kim Jong-un dons Western suit and delivers New Year's speech from leather armchair declaring he could drop denuclearisation ‘for a new path’ if Trump tests his patience

* North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un addressed his people in a New Year's speech
* He said he hopes to meet with Donald Trump in 2019 to work on denuclearisation
* However, also warned the United States not to test Pyongyang's patience

Kim Jong Un has warned the United States not to test Pyongyang's patience with sanctions and pressure in a televised New Year's speech today.

Foregoing his traditional Mao-style buttoned-up black shirt, the North Korean dictator dressed in a Western business suit and tie to deliver his annual speech, sat beneath two huge portraits of his father and grandfather.

Kim said he hopes to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019 and produce an outcome 'welcomed by the international community' on denuclearisation.

However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States 'continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure.'

Read more ....

More News On North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un's New Year's Speech

North Korea's Kim says ready to meet Trump but warns of 'new path' -- Reuters
Kim Jong Un Says He's Ready for More Talks With Trump -- Time/AP
Kim warns N. Korea could consider change of tack -- AFP
Kim Jong-un's new year message warns of 'new path' if sanctions stay -- The Guardian
Kim Jong Un says North Korea isn't making nukes, warns US on sanctions -- CNN
Kim seeks meeting with Trump but warns he could lose patience -- Asia Times
In New Year’s speech, Kim Jong Un says he’s ready to meet Trump “at any time” -- NK News
4 ideas from NKorean leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s speech -- AP

Is North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Feeling The Pressure?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a cosmetics factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on October 28, 2017. KCNA/via Reuters

WNU Editor: Is North Korean leader Kim Jong-un feeling the pressure? My answer is yes ....  Analyst: Kim Jong Un's anger during factory visit a sign of building pressure (Elizabeth Shim, UPI).

What Will Become Of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Ronald Tiersky, RCW: What Will Kim Become?

The Singapore Summit pairing U.S. President Donald Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is history, the hot takes have had time to cool, and it’s possible now to take a deeper look at what happened. The summit communique is vague, just a promise. Most important is what we’ve learned about Kim as a person, a leader, and a negotiator.

Kim Jong Un is a still a young and in many ways unformed man. In Singapore, he found himself out in the wider world, exposed to the international public’s eye for the first time as his nation’s leader. After years as his father’s successor-in-waiting and then as the country’s leader after 2011, Kim’s has been a life steeped in the make-believe North Korean totalitarianism created by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and then tended by his father, Kim Jong Il.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: One of the better analysis that I have read on what have we learned about Kim Jong-un since the start of the Korean peace talks.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Has Begun The Process Of Eliminating The Symbols Of His Grand-Father And Father Starting With The National Oath

Visitors bowing in a show of respect for North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on Mansudae (Mansu Hill) in Pyongyang, North Korea.

The Telegraph: Kim Jong-un 'erases his father and grandfather' from new mandatory national oath

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has introduced a new national oath playing down the achievements of his father and grandfather and instead praising his own ideology and leadership.

The oath, which must be recited by all citizens, was originally introduced in the 1970s, when Kim Il-sung, the founder of the nation and the grandfather of the present dictator, exercised control over the nation.

The oath was made up of 10 articles that extolled the wisdom and greatness of Mr Kim and, after his death in July 1994, his son, Kim Jong-il.

Declared by workers, students and members of the armed forces on national holidays and key anniversaries of the Workers’ Party, citizens have been required to swear to “arm themselves with the ideals” of the nation’s first two leaders, the Seoul-based DailyNK news site reported.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I guess it is only a question of time before the two statues are removed (see picture on top). Or they put a third statue of Kim Jong-un (and of course it will be more bolder and bigger).

A Closer Look At North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's Personal Plane

Photo: Kim Jong-un's Ilyushin jet takes off from China. (Reuters: Kyodo)

ABC News Online: Kim Jong-un's Soviet-era Ilyushin-62M plane set to fly him from North Korea to Singapore

Kim Jong-un's trip to Singapore marks a rare occasion the North Korean leader is heading overseas.

Following a family tradition, Mr Kim is known to use a special armoured train for travel.

But of course that's not an option for getting to the island-state of Singapore.

So just how will Mr Kim make the big trip? A plane of course!

Read more ....

WNU Editor: His ride is a Soviet-era Ilyushin-62M plane (a plane that was built in the 1960s) .... no wonder he prefers to take the train.

Kim Jong Un Is Reportedly Extremely Afraid Of Being Assassinated Around The Singapore Summit

"We will guarantee his safety." (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque and Korea Summit Press Pool/File Photos)

FOX News: Kim Jong Un terrified someone will kill him at Singapore summit: report

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un reportedly fears an attempt on his life at the historic Singapore summit that will bring the hermit kingdom leader the furthest he’s ever been from his country since coming to power.

U.S. officials believe Kim is worried about security and the possibility of an assassination attempt at the high-stakes summit where he will meet President Trump for the first time after months of back-and-forth negotiations, sources told Bloomberg.

In 2017, North Korea accused U.S. and South Korean intelligence services of hatching an assassination plot against Kim with a "biochemical substance."

Read more ....

Update #1: Kim Jong Un is reportedly extremely afraid of assassination around the Trump summit — and he's right to be -- Business Insider
Update #2: Kim's Singapore trip raises questions about security -- UPI

WNU Editor: This will be Kim Jong-Un's first time traveling overseas with advance notice .... so yes .... I am sure that he and those around him are aware of the security risks. But I am also sure they are going to keep a very tight lid on everything. But the worries still exist .... Among Kim Jong Un’s worries about a summit in Singapore: a coup back home (Quartz)