Kim Jong Un’s weight loss addressed in North Korean media reports

Some analysts in Seoul said Mr Kim is likely to have gone on a diet to improve his health, while others speculated that his weight loss might be related to health issues

This combination of file photos provided by the North Korean government, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Workers’ Party meetings in Pyongyang, North Korea, on February 8 2021, left, and June 15 2021. Picture: AP

Heartbroken North Koreans have been worrying tearfully about leader Kim Jong Un’s “emaciated looks”, state media quoted a local resident as saying, in a rare acknowledgement of foreign speculation about his weight loss.

The comments were seen as an effort to boost domestic support for Mr Kim’s efforts as he grapples with deepening economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, mismanagement, UN economic sanctions and natural disasters, some experts said.