Kim Jong Un spotted with a head bandage, adds speculation about his health
This is not the first time that Kim Jong Un's injuries or health issues, which have been carefully controlled by state media outlets, have come out in the public.
FollowSpeculation about the health of North Korea's Kim Jong Un is doing rounds again on social media after he appeared with a bandage on the back of his head. According to media reports, the bandage was visible when Kim appeared at a Korean People's Army event last week. While Kim Jong Un's health is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the country, his efforts to revive the economy and food shortages give us a glimpse of the leader. This is not the first time that Kim Jong Un's injuries or health issues, which have been carefully controlled by state media outlets, have come out in public.
Earlier, in June, Korean media reports stated that the citizens broke down in tears overseeing the thinner Kim Jong Un, who returned to the public sphere after being absent for almost a month. In July, South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee briefed by the National Intelligence Service, said that Kim Jong Un lost between 10 and 20 kilogrammes but has no major health issues affecting his rule.
Kim, who was overweight and a smoker, has been subjected to health speculation for years. In 2014, people witnessed his longest absence from the public eye for six weeks. When he did reappear, he was walking with a cane, raising speculation he could be suffering from gout.
In 2015, a bandage was seen around his left wrist and a bandage around his finger in June 2019. During a May Day 2020 event at a fertiliser factory, Kim was seen with marks on his wrists, fuelling speculation he may have undergone a medical procedure.
Currently, Kim Jong Un is facing one of the most difficult periods of his rule, which began in late 2011. His country's economy has hit a new low due to coronavirus, natural disasters, and international sanctions.
Earlier this week, Kim Jong Un's sister cautioned that the drills could jeopardise talks with Seoul, a move that reinforced worries North Korea might use South Korean President Moon Jae-in's desire for dialogue to try to force him to break with the US.
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