Kim Jong-un's ill health caused by stress of being a dictator and excessive drinking, says report
Amid speculations over Kim Jong-un's whereabouts and ill health, a recent report has stated that the stress of being the hermit nation's strongman, along with excessive boozing, may have resulted in the dictator's grave health issues.
Reports of Kim's ill health or possible death emerged last month after a South Korean outlet, Daily NK, claimed that Kim had undergone a cardiovascular system procedure in Pyongyang on April 12 because of "excessive smoking, obesity and overworking". The outlet released an updated report on Friday, May 1, where a contributor suggested that the Pyongyang leader might not be dead, and purportedly “had something wrong health-wise due to either excessive drinking or overwork."
The report acknowledges that although "we do not know exactly" about the gravity of Kim's health, "he may have retired to his villa in Wonsan to rest.”
The 36-year-old dictator had reportedly planned to take a "short reprise" at his villa before heading to Pyongyang for the 'Day of the Sun,' however, he later gave the event a miss because he was not feeling well, the outlet reported. Kim's health came under scrutiny after he gave a miss to an annual visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun for the 108th birthday of his late grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung, last week, on April 15.
"Therefore, he must have felt that economic issues should be left to the experts, Prime Minister Kim Jae Ryong and Vice Chairman Park Pong Ju," contributor Chung Chang Yeol wrote in the outlet. “What happened next, however, was unexpected."
The report stated that Kim might have sought to keep both South Korea and the United States "off balance" by instructing his officials to send diplomatic telegraphs or deliver birthday gifts to foreign leaders in his name
"This kind of behavior fully utilizes the close and isolated nature of North Korea and, so far, it has been considerably successful. This is all, of course, mere speculation," the report added.
The Daily NK report comes just a day after Taiwan’s chief of intelligence said that the North Korean Supreme Leader was "sick," which prompted his nation to formulate contingency plans in case he dies. There also has been an increased global focus on Kim's sister, Kim Yo-Jong, as the possible next leader of North Korea in case the rumors of the tyrant's death are true.
It was reported last week that Yo-jong is set to be promoted to the official "successor" of the hermit nation, fuelling further speculations about her brother's ill health or possible death. Kim Yo-jong's promotion will make her the most important figure in Pyongyang after her brother, who also held the same role when his father, Kim Jong-il, died in 2011. It was reported on Tuesday, April 29, that the state's National Assembly wishes to expand her role to become "party center" in an attempt to strengthen the sovereignty of the "blood lineage." Kim Yo-jong's new powerful position would make her "party center responsible for the party's only leadership system."
"This is not only the role of the first vice-president of the organizational leadership but also foreseeing the possibility of expanding to the status and role as the official successor of the white blood lineage in the future," the Assembly reportedly said.