North Koreans are ‘heartbroken’ over Kim Jong Un’s recent weight loss

North Korea analysts said Kim Jong Un appeared to have lost weight as the strap of his expensive watch appeared tighter and his face looked significantly thinner

North Korean citizens are reportedly heartbroken over leader Kim Jong Un’s sudden weight loss, reported Reuters. These reactions come days after Kim’s appearance on state television following months of absence from the public eye.

Kim Jong Un, who is himself fond of liquor and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart disease (via REUTERS)

"Seeing respected general secretary (Kim Jong Un) looking emaciated breaks our people's heart so much," a North Korean citizen told the state broadcaster, reported Reuters.

"Everyone is saying that their tears welled up," he added.

Reports of Kim’s weight loss began to do the rounds after footage of North Koreans watching a clip of plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea held on June 17 on a giant screen in an unspecified location was broadcasted on the official state television channel, reported Reuters.

North Korea analysts who studied the footage closely said Kim appeared to have lost weight as the strap of his expensive watch appeared tighter and his face looked significantly thinner. The 37-year old who is around 5ft 8 inches tall and weighs 140 kilograms may have lost as much as 10-20 kilograms, reported the Associated Press.

Kim, who is himself fond of liquor and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart disease. Both his father and grandfather who ruled North Korea before him succumbed to heart issues. Speculations about his health have been rife ever since he disappeared from the public eye last year, depending on his sister Kim Yo-jong to pick up the slack. Yo-jong is also believed to be her brother’s successor.

Hong Min, a senior scholar at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for National Unification, told the Associated Press that the apparent weight loss can also be a sign of the Supreme Leader’s attempts to improve his lifestyle. Min insisted that if his health was indeed failing he would not make an appearance in public to address an important plenary meeting of his party.