The Korean leader’s endless “suffering and worrying” explains his apparent weight loss, the film says
The latest film released by the North Korean state media claims that their leader, Kim Jong-un, has been so greatly weakened by hard work that he can no longer walk down stairs.
The documentary – ‘2021, A Great Victorious Year’ – appears to link the dramatic weight loss of the North Korean leader with his concern and hard work for the citizens of his beleaguered nation.
The footage, which was first reported by NK News, a Seoul-based website, focuses on the hardships of the last year, including the Covid-19 pandemic, international sanctions and widespread food shortages. But it also shows the leader in a familiar and heroic light. Kim demonstrates his military knowhow and can be seen riding a white horse in a throwback to previous propaganda films.
In one section of the documentary, Kim can be seen carefully navigating a tricky stair-like contraption while the narrator, quivering, states he “showed us his fatherly side by doggedly braving snow, rain and wind while taking on the fate of the nation and people like his own children.”
Kim once again looks visibly smaller as his white shirt and black trousers hang loosely off him.
“His body completely withered away, and he showed his motherly side by greatly suffering and worrying to realize the dreams of the people,” the narrator adds.
Prior to the pandemic, the North Korean leader appeared to be overweight, and – according to reports in the western media – he had a long list of health problems, including gout and diabetes, related to his diet and weight.
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While the documentary, which is an annual feature of North Korea’s propaganda arsenal, claims Kim has lost weight for the good of the nation, fears that enforced border closures have rendered the nation severely short on food have also been reported.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization believes the nation was short of 860,000 tons of food last year alone. The figure equates to approximately 2.3 months of sustenance.
