Kim Han-sol, a nephew of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, walks on the Le Havre campus of the prestigious French university Paris Institute of Political Studies, Sciences Po in Le Havre on Oct. 1, 2014. He is a son of the North’s late leader Kim Jong-il’s eldest son Kim Jong-nam. Kim Jong-nam was recently witnessed in Paris. (Yonhap)
It looks like the North Koreans have determined that Kim Jong-un’s gout is not going away and thus have begun a campaign to make excuses for it:
Young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is suffering from “discomfort”, state media has said in the first official acknowledgement of ill health after a prolonged period out of the public eye.
Kim, 31, who is frequently the centrepiece of the isolated country’s propaganda, has not been photographed by state media since appearing at a concert alongside his wife on Sept. 3, fuelling speculation he is suffering from bad health.
He had been seen walking with a limp since an event with key officials in July and in a pre-recorded documentary broadcast by state media on Thursday appeared to have difficulty walking.
“The wealth and prosperity of our socialism is thanks to the painstaking efforts of our marshal, who keeps lighting the path for the people, like the flicker of a flame, despite suffering discomfort,” a voice over for the hour-long documentary said. (Reuters)
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It looks like Kim Jong-un gout is getting to him again:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was recently shown limping on state television, raising questions about the health of the 31-year-old dictator.
Some experts say that the full display of Kim walking with a limp was intended to convey that he was fully in charge and reassure, ironically, the public of his good health.
It is generally believed that an accident or health problem was the cause.
Kim looks obese for his young age. It is widely speculated that he had fattened himself to make him look like his grandfather and founder of the communist state Kim Il-sung to enable the younger Kim to ascend to power at a young age after his father, Kim Jong-il, died in late 2011.
Footage from Korean Central Television (KCTV) Tuesday showed Kim walking with a limp, favoring his left leg, during a visit to a newly built factory in August, called “the Oct. 8 Factory.” [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
