Kim Jong Un lost 44 pounds, say South Korean spies

The National Intelligence Service estimated that Kim recently lost between 10 and 20 kilograms (44 pounds), Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker briefed by the spy agency, told reporters Thursday.

“If there is an abnormality in his health, there should be signs that drugs are being imported to the clinic that’s in charge of Kim’s health, but that was not detected,” the lawmaker said, adding that Kim Jong Un still hosts “hours-long meetings” and there’s nothing unusual about how he walks.

The 37-year-old North Korean leader was out of the public eye for much of May, and when he reappeared in a June video showing him chairing a government meeting, he looked much slimmer. State media later ran a story citing a citizen as saying North Koreans broke down in tears at the sight of the thinner Kim, comments that could have been aimed at building public support as he tries to revive a sickly economy.

Kim’s weight is tracked by spy agencies for insights about the autocratic and secretive regime in Pyongyang, especially since his family has a history of heart disease. South Korean spies told lawmakers in November that Kim weighed about 140 kilograms, but they didn’t provide an estimate in this briefing.

Another lawmaker, Ha Tae-keung, said there’s no evidence Kim Jong Un has had a coronavirus vaccine. Ha added that the spy agency disclosed that the Atomic Energy Research Institute was hacked over a 12-day period but there was no leak of the “most sensitive information,” without elaborating further. North Korea also tried to hack the National Fusion Research Institute around June 7, Ha said.- NDTV