"Signs of Medical Taping on North Korea's Kim Jong-un's Back of Head Again?"... 'Health Concerns' Rekindled

There is a mark from medical tape that was attached and removed on the right back of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un's head. /Photo by Chosun Central TV capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Medical tape marks were once again found on the back of Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, raising concerns about his health.

In footage of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party released by Korean Central Television last week on the 5th, a white mark resembling medical tape can be seen on the right back of Kim Jong-un's head.

Previously, in July last year, Kim was seen with a patch applied to the same area, sparking rumors about his health. Some speculated that it might have been a patch for skin protection or headache relief. At that time, the National Intelligence Service stated, "the patch was removed within a few days and there was no scar."

In photos from the second day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party, reported by Korean Central News Agency on December 29 last year, the collar of Kim's shirt appeared loose enough to fit a finger, indicating weight loss.

In fact, the National Intelligence Service reported during the October National Assembly inspection that Kim Jong-un's weight decreased by about 20kg from approximately 140kg in 2019.

In June, North Korea's Korean Central Television reported, "The people were most heartbroken when they saw the beloved General Secretary looking emaciated."

Meanwhile, North Korea conducted a hypersonic missile test launch on the 5th. Senior officials from the Central Committee's Military Industry Department and the Defense Science sector observed the test launch. However, Kim Jong-un did not attend the event.

The Korean Central News Agency explained, "After launch, the missile separated and performed a 120km lateral maneuver from the initial launch azimuth to the target azimuth during the flight phase of the hypersonic glide vehicle, accurately hitting the target set at 700km without error."

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