John Herskovitz and Shinhe Kang
From Bloomberg News
North Korean Kim Jong Un recently appeared with a few stamp-sized bandages behind his head. In the latest episode, speculation about the health of hermit leaders is rife.
According to the NK News site and the Korean Daily Newspaper, the bandage was displayed in the image of the state media when Kim appeared at the event of the Korean People’s Army from July 24th to 27th. Quoting a review from the North Korean press, they said there were images of the event where bandages disappeared and dark greenish spots were visible in late July.
Leader health is one of North Korea’s most tightly guarded secrets, but a rare glimpse into the state of a 37-year-old leader who is reviving the economy and fighting food shortages. For decades, state propaganda has described the supreme leaders as being so focused on people that they endanger their own well-being.
In June, state media quoted citizens as shedding tears when North Koreans were absent from most of May and saw a dramatically thin Kim who cut out a much thinner person and returned to the public eye. ..
Kim keeps his hair shaved below the height of the temple, making it difficult to hide the scars on the back of his head. By exposing the images to the outside world, North Korea provided feed to espionage agencies looking for clues about Kim’s health.
The National Intelligence Service in South Korea believes there were no unusual signs of Kim’s health, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday. Citing a lawmaker briefed by a spy agency, he added that the patch was removed a few days later and had no scars.
NK News, a state-focused professional service, said the photos released by the state media when Kim attended an event with musicians on July 11 had no trace behind his head. He added that he was likely to have spent his time in a beachfront mansion afterwards. In Wonsan.
After a long absence last year that raised concerns about the stability of the administration, Kim marked his wrist, fueling speculation that he might have received medical treatment, in 2020 at a fertilizer plant. Appeared at the May Day event.
Overweight and smoker, Kim has been the subject of health speculation for many years. His longest absence from the public eye was six weeks in 2014. When he reappeared, he was walking with a wand, calling for speculation that he might be suffering from gout.
His grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung has grown almost the size of a tennis ball behind his neck. This was captured in photographs of overseas travel over the years. His propaganda machine ensured that it would never be shown to his public.
Kim Jong Un faces one of the most difficult times of his rule, which began in late 2011. According to South Korea’s central economy, the 2020 economy recorded the sharpest decline in more than 20 years due to coronaviruses, natural disasters, and international sanctions, bank data released last week. Last year, GDP was smaller than when Kim took over, he said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea is seeking permission to export minerals and import essentials such as refined oil as a prerequisite for reviving dialogue with the United States. Some of those necessities included fine liquor and suits, they said.
A warning to North Korea’s recent US-ROK joint military exercise indicates that it is ready to take action if the exercise is canceled, the espionage agency said. Kim Jong Un’s sister warned this week that training could jeopardize talks with Seoul. It has heightened concerns that North Korea may use South Korea’s desire for dialogue with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to force him to break up with the United States.
North Korean leaders have issued rare warnings about economic struggles and food shortages in recent months, but so far have shown their willingness to return to discussions on reducing nuclear weapons in exchange for economic incentives. Not.
© 2021 Bloomberg LP visit Bloomberg.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.