To face one of the worst economic and social crises in his ten years at the helm of the North Korean regime, dictator Kim Jong-un has been trying to bolster the country’s strong leader image by increasing the number of public appearances. predecessors of a party boardroom, create a term to emphasize their ideology and even lose 20 kilos to look healthier.
The information is from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea and was passed on to lawmakers in Seoul this Thursday (28), in a closed-door meeting, according to the Korean press.
Kim drew attention for appearing thinner at official events and in photos and videos released by the state press, which sparked rumors about his health.
A tabloid even said that a stuntman had been appearing in the dictator’s place, a suspicion denied on Thursday by the South Korean spy service, lawmaker Kim Byung-kee told the Korea Times newspaper.
According to the deputy, the dictator, who was 140 kg, now weighs 120 kg, citing data presented to lawmakers — Kim, 37, is 1.70 m tall. The 20 kg lost does not indicate illness, but an improvement in the autocrat’s health, according to the agents, who cited artificial intelligence techniques and video analysis in very high resolution to investigate the dictator’s condition.
The conclusion was borne out by the fact that Kim has made 70 public appearances so far this year, up 45 percent from the same period last year.
In addition to the data regarding Kim’s weight, the intelligence service reported that the dictator had taken from the Korean Workers’ Party conference room photos of his father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung.
The decision would be part of an attempt by the regime’s command to reinforce the importance of the current dictator in the country’s history. The North Korean government has used the term “Kimjongunism” to refer to the political ideology present in the country today, which would be independent of “Kimjongilism” and “Kimilsungism,” Deputy Ha Tae-keung told the Korea Times.
Kim has been through the worst crisis in his government, aggravated by restrictions imposed by the pandemic, although, according to the intelligence service, no signs of serious spikes in Covid-19 have been found — North Korea has reported no cases of infection. The country, one of the most closed in the world, has also not started mass vaccinating its population and has rejected vaccine offers from Russia and China.
On the other hand, Korea has been facing an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever.
South Korean spies also reported that the volume of trade between North Korea and China, the country’s main ally, fell by two-thirds in the accumulated from January to September this year compared to last year, according to Rep. Ha.
As international trade dwindles, North Korean officials have been pressuring workers to increase production to make up for material shortages. Excessive working hours were singled out as the cause of an explosion at a major fertilizer factory in August.
In addition, North Korea has been unable to import paper and ink for printing money and has started issuing a temporary currency, also according to the intelligence service.
To facilitate the inflow of foreign aid, the regime has eased border restrictions. The port of Nampo, in the west of the country, has already received supplies, and authorities are preparing to open the port of Yongchon as well. Rail routes to China and Russia are also expected to be reopened.
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