North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has regained weight and appears to have obesity-related health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and his officials are looking for new medicines abroad to treat them, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Monday. The 40-year-old Kim, known for heavy drinking and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart problems. Some observers said Kim, who is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and previously weighed 308 pounds, appeared to have lost a large amount of weight in 2021, likely from changing his diet. But recent state media footage show he has regained the weight, the AP reports.
On Monday, the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's main spy agency, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that Kim is estimated to weigh about 308 pounds again and belongs to a high-risk group for heart disease, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers. Another lawmaker, Park Sunwon, said the NIS believes Kim's obesity is linked to his drinking, smoking, and stress. Lee and Park quoted the NIS as saying it obtained intelligence that North Korean officials have been trying to get new medicines abroad for Kim's suspected high blood pressure and diabetes.
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 conditions. The NIS also has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea, per the AP. Kim's health is the focus of keen attention outside North Korea since he hasn't formally anointed a successor who would take charge of the country's advancing nuclear arsenal targeting the US and its allies if he were to be incapacitated. Both his father and grandfather, who ruled North Korea before his 2011 inheritance of power, died of heart issues.
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