Kim Jong-un 'cannot stand up by himself or walk properly' after years of unhealthy diet, claims defector
Kim Jong-un's health is so poor that the North Korean dictator "cannot stand up by himself or walk properly," a prominent defector has claimed.
Kim's health has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he missed the April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung. The 36-year-old, who is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, had not missed the event, considered the biggest in the country, since assuming power after his father's death in 2011.
It has been theorized that the dictator is in a "vegetative state" after botched heart surgery, that he's gravely ill, or even that he's dead. But none of the reports are verifiable because of the secrecy under which Pyongyang operates.
Commenting on the issue, Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who was elected to South Korea's parliament earlier this month, said Kim had health issues but cautioned against reading too much into reports of his demise because only a select few close to him had access to the truth.
"Kim Jong Un is not only the leader of North Korea, but he is the grandson of Kim Il Sung ... to North Korean eyes it is really abnormal," Thae told CNN of the dictator's absence from his grandfather's birthday celebrations.
"I'm not quite sure whether he really had some surgery or whatever, but one thing is clear... he cannot stand up by himself or walk properly," he added.
While Thae did not offer any proof himself, Kim's poor diet and eating habits, as well as his penchant for smoking cigarettes, is well-documented and could have resulted in a plethora of health problems.
Kenji Fujimoto, a personal chef to Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, for 13 years, had even spoken out about the dictator's extravagant and luxurious eating habits in a 2015 interview.
"I used to make sushi for the General (Jong-il) at least once a week and Jong-un always joined the dinner. So I could say Jong-un liked sushi," he shared.
Fujimoto also revealed that Kim had a fondness for champagne and that the North Korean leader would finish two bottles of his favorite Cristal in just one sitting. He is also said to have drunk "10 bottles of Bordeaux" during one meal.
His massive weight gain since he took over following his father's 2011 death has also been attributed to his fondness for Emmental cheese, which he first tasted while in Switzerland for his education, and which is also believed to have caused him gout.
His obsession with the cheese reportedly resulted in Pyongyang officials visiting a French dairy college in 2014 to secure more fine cheeses for their country. Ermanno Furlanis, an Italian chef recruited to make pizza for the regime in 1997, had made similar assertions about his and his father's unhealthy eating habits.
"They loved so much the meat, the salami, the prosciutto, the ham," he said. "In North Korea, they are very fond of bulgogi (Korean-style marinated beef), and we know that meat is not healthy if you eat too much."