North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have lost even more weight in new photos after he shed up to 44 pounds earlier this year.
The despot was shown waving to a crowd of enthusiastic military officers and seemed to have lost weight around his waist and face with his trademark Mao suit appearing slightly baggy.
Images from the first workshop of the commanders and political officers of the Korean People s Army show held in July showed Kim with a noticeably slimmer face.
It comes a month after state TV said Kim s emaciated condition was breaking our people s hearts in a highly unusual broadcast in a country where public discussion of the leader s health and personal life has always been off-limits.
Slimmer Kim a propaganda move
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published : 1 Jul 2021 at 04:00
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A rare mention in North Korean state media of leader Kim Jong-un s health could be intended to head off speculation and play up shared sacrifice amid food shortages, analysts said.
The tightly controlled state media on Friday quoted a resident of Pyongyang as saying that everyone in North Korea was heartbroken after seeing images of Mr Kim looking emaciated .
When Mr Kim reappeared in state media in early June after not being seen in public for almost a month, analysts noted that his watch appeared to be fastened more tightly than before around an apparently slimmer wrist, sparking speculation over the health of a leader who holds an iron grip in North Korea.
The Straits Times
North Korea sees propaganda value in slimmer Kim Jong Un, analysts say
It is unclear whether Mr Kim s weight loss is due to illness, or whether he decided that it was time to get fit.PHOTOS: REUTERS/KRT TV
PublishedJun 28, 2021, 12:42 pm SGT
https://str.sg/3oNN
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Josh Smith
3 minute read
SEOUL, June 28 (Reuters) - A rare mention in North Korean state media of leader Kim Jong Un s health could be intended to head off speculation and play up shared sacrifice amid food shortages, analysts said.
The tightly controlled state media on Friday quoted an unidentified resident of Pyongyang as saying that everyone in North Korea was heartbroken after seeing images of Kim looking emaciated .
When Kim reappeared in state media in early June after not being seen in public for almost a month, analysts noted that his watch appeared to be fastened more tightly than before around an apparently slimmer wrist, sparking speculation over the health of a leader who holds an iron grip in North Korea.
SEOUL - A rare mention in North Korean state media of leader Kim Jong-un's health could be intended to head off speculation and play up shared sacrifice amid food shortages, analysts said. The tightly controlled state media on Friday (June 25) quoted an unidentified resident of Pyongyang as saying that everyone in North Korea was heartbroken after seeing images of.