Kim Jong-un seems to have lost weight and it could have geopolitical consequences

The loose suit seems to be a bit more so these days.

While no one had seen him in public for nearly a month, the North Korean leader Kim jong un reappeared in state media on Saturday and wearing noticeably thinner.

Analysts and foreign intelligence agencies have long watched what little information is leaking from North Korea, looking for clues as to what may be going on in the bowels of the hermit kingdom. But after the country’s borders were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Kim’s watchers appear to have pulled him out on his waist: apparently thinner than usual.

If Kim just lost weight to be healthier, then “will likely improve your position at home“O”offer more predictability, perhaps for regional players like Japan, [Corea del Sur] and the United States, who could have more confidence in their leadership“Said Vipin Narang to News from NK.

“However, if (the sudden weight loss) is due to a health issue, then the maneuvers for your estate may already be happening behind the scenes, and that volatility could be a problem for the outside world.Added Narang, professor of political science at MIT.

NK News He even compared enlarged images of Kim’s wrist from the past seven months. In an image taken in November, the leader’s $ 12,000 IWC Portofino Automatic watch seemed to fit his wrist perfectly. But the most recent photos show Kim wearing her watch with more bracelets to spare.

The pictures reinforce what appears to be Kim’s weight loss.

However, this is far from the first time people have looked at pictures of Kim for signs that tell more about her health. These are attempts to find out more about an enigmatic man who is often imagined sitting on a massive nuclear arsenal.

Why was Kim limping in the 2014 footage? North Korea has digitally altered its left ear?

When the dictator met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018, a South Korean newspaper asked seven experts spend hours examining images for clues about the North Korean leader. The investigation suggested that Kim models used to inflate your waist.

When the North Korean leader reappeared in a golf cart last year, rumors that he was gravely ill were dispelled. However, some medical experts have speculated that a small mark on your wrist it was a sure sign that she had undergone medical intervention.

Even his rise in 2011 was shrouded in mystery, as US officials were not aware of his father’s death for two days, until the regime announced it.

When images of Kim himself are not available, analysts and online detectives sometimes turn to satellite images for signals from his planes, trailers, trains and ships.

“In a country like North Korea, there is no fuss when it comes to luxury facilities“, said Colin Zwirko of the specialized information and analysis service NK Pro, a The Washington Post Last year. “These are only the Kim family facilities. There are no other people who can just freely enjoy boat parties or have mansions in remote places.“.

Kim’s health has long been a constant concern given her body weight, that the South Korean secret service estimated at nearly 130 kilograms, and his strong habit of smoking. But he also has the best medical care North Korea can have and the ability to turn to Russian or Chinese experts, who have close ties to the Pyongyang regime.

A sign which was interpreted by an expert as an attempt to show that he was worth for himself, occurred when the North Korean Workers’ Party recently removed from his government a reference to the legacy of Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and his father, Kim Jong Il.

Tensions remain tense between Pyongyang and the United States: when President Biden called Kim’s nuclear program “”serious threat to US security and global security”, And promised to respond with “Diplomacy and severe deterrence“, North Korea responded.

Biden’s comments were “intolerable“And reflects the”usual story“From the United States,” said Kwon Jong pistol, head of the Department of American Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

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