North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has appeared in recent days with a bandage about the dimensions of a couple of postage stamps on the rear of his head, within the latest episode to stoke speculation about the reclusive leader’s health.
The bandage was visible in state media images when Kim appeared at a Korean People’s Army event from July 24 to 27, consistent with NK News site and therefore the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. there have been also images at events in late July during which the bandage was gone and a dark greenish spot was visible, they said, citing a review of North Korean state media.
While the leader’s health is one among the mostly closely guarded secrets in North Korea , it’s allowed rare glimpses into the 37-year-old leader’s condition as he tries to revive the economy and battles food shortages. State propaganda for many years has portrayed the supreme leaders as being so people-focused that they risk their own well-being.
In June, state media cited a citizen as saying North Koreans broke down in tears over seeing a dramatically thinner Kim, who returned to the general public eye cutting a way thinner figure after being absent for many of May.
Kim keeps his hair shaved below the extent of his temple, making it difficult to cover any blemishes on the rear of his head. By releasing the pictures to the surface world, North Korea provided fodder for spy agencies trying to find clues on Kim’s health.
South Korea’s National intelligence believes there are no unusual signs regarding Kim’s health, the Yonhap press agency reported Tuesday. It cited lawmakers who had been briefed by the spy agency, which added the patch was removed after a couple of days and there was no scar.
NK News, a specialty service that specialize in the country, said there was no mark on the rear of Kim’s head in photos released by state media when he attended a July 11 event with musicians, adding the leader likely hung out then at a beachfront mansion in Wonsan.
After a protracted absence last year that raised concern about the steadiness of his regime, Kim emerged for a May Day 2020 event at a fertilizer factory with marks on his wrists that fueled speculation he may have had a procedure .
Kim — overweight and a smoker — has been the topic of health speculation for years. His longest absence from the general public eye was six weeks in 2014. When he did reappear, he was walking with a cane, raising speculation he might be affected by gout.
His grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung had an almost tennis ball-sized growth on the rear of his neck, which was caught in photographs on international trips over the years. His propaganda machine made sure it had been never shown to his public.
Kim Jong Un is facing one among the foremost difficult periods of his rule that started in late 2011. The economy in 2020 posted its sharpest drop by quite 20 years thanks to the coronavirus, natural disasters and international sanctions, consistent with South Korean financial institution data released last week. Gross domestic product was smaller last year than when Kim took over, it said.
North Korea is demanding permission to export minerals also as import refined oil and other essentials as prerequisites for reviving dialogue with the U.S., South Korean spy agency officials told lawmakers, consistent with Yonhap. a number of those essentials included fine liquor and suits, they said.
Pyongyang’s recent warning against upcoming joint U.S.-South Korea military drills shows it’s willing to require some corresponding measure if the exercises are halted, the spy agency said. Kim Jong Un’s sister cautioned in the week the drills could jeopardize talks with Seoul, a move that reinforced worries North Korea might use South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s desire for dialogue to undertake to force him to interrupt with the U.S.
The North Korean leader in recent months has issued rare warnings of economic struggles and food shortages but thus far has shown no indication he’s willing to return to discussions on reducing his nuclear arsenal reciprocally for economic incentives.
