North Korea’s Kim Jung Eun was shown limping across the
stage at the start of yesterday’s Party meeting convened to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung. State television aired live footage of
the event, which took place at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on the morning of the
8th.
Kim’s health has been a source of constant speculation for some time,
particularly in South Korea and Japan where his obesity and allegations of
heavy drinking receive undue attention. Yesterday’s swollen face and negative expression, in addition to the
limp, have now inspired yet more speculation that his health is in decline.
Kim was the victim of similar speculation on December
17th last year, when he appeared worn and haggard at an event
commemorating the second anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death. At the time, Kim’s
appearance was put down to the stress of the execution of his uncle, Jang Song
Taek, and, on a related note, Kim Kyung Hee’s absence from the event.
Attributing too much to Kim’s limp and gloomy demeanor is
unwise. It could be the result of fatigue from an extensive spell of
onsite inspections on the country’s East Sea coast, which will have kept him
away from Pyongyang. It may even be the outcome of a simple sporting accident.
Moreover, the fact that the North Korean press actually
broadcast footage of the limping leader, where public displays of defects
in the leadership are subject to careful management, supports the claims that
his limp is a temporary injury, and by no means evidence of chronic illness.
“It’s self-evident that Kim Jung Eun is severely obese, but
since we don’t know that he is suffering from a specific illness, it’s hard to
attribute his condition to anything in particular. There is a high possibility
that it is due to his recent onsite inspections, where his obesity will have
worsened his fatigue compared to other people,” Sejong Institute researcher
Cheong Seong Chang told Daily NK.
Meanwhile, the most notable absences from yesterday’s event
were those of Kim Il Sung’s daughter, Kim Kyung Hee, and the director of the
United Front Department of the Party, Kim Yang Geon, who has been subject to
speculation about his position since he failed to appear on stage at the Supreme People’s Assembly
session in April this year.
