SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has regained weight and is suffering from health problems related to obesity, including high blood pressure and diabetes. His officials are looking abroad for new drugs to treat them, South Korea's intelligence agency told lawmakers on Monday.
Kim, 40, known for his heavy drinking and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart problems. Both his father and grandfather, who ruled North Korea before he took power in 2011, died of heart problems.
Some observers said Kim, who is about 170 centimeters (5 feet, 8 inches) tall and previously weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds), appeared to have lost a lot of weight in 2021, likely by changing his diet. But recent images from state media show he has regained the weight.
On Monday, the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's top spy agency, told lawmakers at a closed-door meeting that Kim weighs about 140 kilograms again and is in a high-risk group for certain diseases, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting.
Lee said the NIS has told lawmakers that Kim has been showing symptoms of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early 30s and that he will likely eventually develop heart disease if he does not improve his health.
Another lawmaker, Park Sunwon, said the NIS believes Kim's obesity is linked to his drinking, smoking and stress.
Park and Lee quoted the NIS as saying they had obtained intelligence that North Korean officials were attempting to smuggle new drugs for high blood pressure and diabetes abroad for Kim.
North Korea is one of the most secretive countries in the world, and there is virtually no way for outsiders to know Kim's exact health status. The NIS also has a spotty record of confirming developments in North Korea.
Kim's health has received considerable attention outside North Korea, as he has yet to officially name a successor to take charge of the country's evolving nuclear arsenal, aimed at the United States and its allies, should he become incapacitated.
The NIS maintained in its briefing Monday that Kim's pre-teen daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, would cement her status as her father's likely heir. But the NIS said it still could not rule out the possibility that she could be replaced by one of her siblings, as she has not yet been officially designated as her father's successor.
Kim Ju Ae, who is about 10 years old, has been the subject of intense speculation as she accompanied her father to a series of high-profile public events from late 2022 onwards. State media called her Kim Jong Un's “most beloved” or “respected” child and produced images and photographs proving her rising political position and closeness to her father.
The NIS told lawmakers that at least 60 percent of Kim Ju Ae's public activities consisted of attending military events with her father.
