The health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un remains a subject of conjecture after images of him recently showed him having lost a great deal of weight. He had been absent from public view for some time previously.
According to former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry, Kim’s physical condition is ‘the biggest wild card’ in assessing the stability of the reclusive state. Information on the state of the country is frustratingly hard to establish. It is, however, known that Kim consumes alcohol and cigarettes and the family has a history of heart disease and diabetes.
Should anything befall him, it could signal an internal power struggle.
Meanwhile, North Korea has been lagging in its cooperation with the international vaccine distribution effort. It has reportedly concluded only two of the seven administrative steps required to access vaccines from the global COVAX initiative. It has also refused entry to aid officials who would help arrange distribution – noting concerns about the spread of the disease.
The country has also expressed concerns about the safety of some vaccines.
‘We’re back to not knowing. It is actually worse . . . There is nobody going in and out. It is now even more closed-off than normal,’ Terry commented.
Soo Kim of the Rand Corporation and also a former CIA analyst remarked that Kim may fear that his opponents might seek to use the pandemic against his regime.
Kim said last week that a ‘grave incident’ relating to the pandemic had occurred. It was unclear precisely what this meant.