johan20090 schreef op 6 juli 2021 16:18:
The rumors of Kim Jong Un’s “grave” illness, explained
Is the North Korean leader sick? Dead? Missing? Here’s what we know.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has become a visible global presence over the last few years. But in the last week, he’s completely disappeared from public view — and rumors have started to swirl that he may be seriously ill, or even dead.
On April 15, Kim didn’t appear at a celebration commemorating North Korea’s most important holiday, which honors the founder of the country, Kim’s late grandfather Kim Il Sung. State-run media oddly hasn’t published any photos of a recent weapons test, which typically show the leader watching in approval. And official statements from the country have curiously lacked any direct comments from Kim himself.
All of this has led to rampant media speculation that the 37-year-old Kim is recovering from major surgery, or gravely ill, or dead, and a flurry of activity by United States intelligence to figure out what, if anything, is really going on.
Meanwhile, North Korean media outlets have kept mum about the swirling rumors and continue to act as if life in the Hermit Kingdom is proceeding as usual. Even as they publish old (or undated) statements from Kim about the economy and other topics, the gist is that there’s nothing to see here and everything is fine.
That could be true. Kim has disappeared for weeks before, only to show up in public as if nothing had happened. The coronavirus has also impacted the country, and the dictator may be taking precautions to avoid infection. Plus, North Korea’s culture of secrecy means rumors can run rampant regardless of how far-fetched they may be.
But Kim is known to be in poor health; he’s obese, he’s a cigarette smoker, and he’s believed to have severe gout.
Kim Jong Un's biggest risk factor was his obvious poor health -- and in particular the risk of cardiac problems. Kim Jong Un is five feet, four inches tall, and weighs about three hundred pounds = BMI of 51,5, or "extremely obese"