NIS: "Kim Jong-un has gained some weight but is in good health"

NIS Reports on North Korea Trends at National Assembly Audit
"Kim Yo-jong Oversees Diplomacy, Security, and Overall State Affairs"
"Reclusive Choe Son-hui Preparing for Post-US Election"

Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service, is entering the National Assembly Intelligence Committee's audit of the National Intelligence Service held at the NIS headquarters on the 3rd.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced on the 3rd that although North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's weight has been rapidly increasing every year since he came to power, there are no particular abnormalities in his health.

At the National Assembly Intelligence Committee's audit held at the NIS office in Naegok-dong on the same day, the NIS reported that "Chairman Kim Jong-un has gained weight but shows no significant signs of health issues," according to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-gi and People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung, who conveyed this in a press briefing. The NIS also reported on overall North Korean matters including developments related to Kim, changes in the power structure, and foreign policy trends.

Lawmaker Ha stated, "In 2014, Chairman Kim suffered from 'tarsal tunnel syndrome,' which caused a cyst on his foot and made walking difficult, but he has fully recovered," adding, "He is able to walk steadily, climbing stairs and hills without difficulty." He further noted, "Although Chairman Kim has gained weight, he is still young, so even obesity does not pose a major health problem."

The NIS estimates that Kim Jong-un weighed about 90 kilograms (kg) when he assumed power in 2012 and has gained an average of 6 to 7 kg annually. His current weight is estimated to be around 140 kg.

The NIS assessed that not only is Kim Jong-un’s health stable, but the power structure is becoming even more solid.

Lawmaker Ha explained, "Chairman Kim’s governing style is shifting from field guidance to policy guidance," adding, "In the past, he frequently visited sites such as factories and rural areas, but recently he has been focusing on party meetings. Field guidance is now handled by key aides."

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un was reported by Korean Central TV on July 23 to have conducted an on-site inspection of the construction site of the Gwangcheon Chicken Factory in Hwangju County, Hwanghaebuk-do Province. Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, the First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party and a member of the "Baekdu bloodline" (red circle), also accompanied him at the site, dressed in a black pantsuit. Kim Yo Jong has been seen closely accompanying Chairman Kim during his public activities, such as the completion ceremony of the Sunchon Fertilizer Factory and the on-site guidance of the Pyongyang General Hospital construction.

Additionally, the NIS understands that Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, the first deputy director of the Workers' Party, oversees not only diplomacy and security but also the overall state affairs.

Lawmaker Ha said, "Kim Yo-jong is still involved in overall state affairs, not just diplomacy and security, including planning the 75th anniversary founding event of the party," adding, "She temporarily stopped accompanying Chairman Kim for the past two months, but this does not mean she was inactive; she was engaged in separate tasks such as quarantine and flood response." He also added, "Kim Yo-jong is currently a candidate member of the party’s Political Bureau, and her party position is expected to be further elevated at the 8th Party Congress scheduled for early next year."

Regarding Choe Son-hui, the first vice foreign minister who recently disappeared from radar, it is observed that she is focusing on preparing a foreign strategy line in anticipation of the U.S. presidential election aftermath.

Lawmaker Kim reported that "Although First Vice Minister Choe has no public activities, the NIS understands that she is concentrating on analyzing the U.S. presidential election results and formulating post-election U.S. policy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.