Seoul agency assesses Kim Jong Un as ‘extremely obese’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is assessed to be “extremely obese” and weigh more than 140 kilograms, South Korea’s spy agency has told lawmakers, according to lawmaker Youn Kun-young. Youn said the agency’s latest assessment placed Kim at high risk of cardiovascular disease. He added that the leader had shown no difficulty with physical activity, including running up stairs.

The assessment also indicated that there were no signs of current health problems, Youn said, citing the close monitoring provided by Kim’s dedicated medical team. Kim’s health is closely watched internationally because of the potential implications of a sudden death for succession and stability in North Korea. The source material does not identify a successor or describe any official response from Pyongyang to the South Korean assessment.

Speculation about Kim’s health intensified in 2020 after he missed a commemoration marking his grandfather’s birthday and remained out of public view for about 20 days. That absence led to reports that he might have been seriously ill following surgery. Kim is described as a heavy smoker who has long been obese.

His father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, were also obese and heavy smokers; both died of heart attacks, according to the report. The report also notes that North Korea faces sanctions over its weapons programmes and has experienced a state-managed economic crisis and chronic food shortages. UN special rapporteur Elizabeth Salmon said in February that food shortages remained a key humanitarian concern.

Paul Smart, an executive chef who worked with Kim’s personal chefs during the 2019 North Korea–United States summit, previously said Kim preferred expensive foods including caviar, lobster, foie gras and rare meat.