Kim Jong-un issues tearful apology after COVID-19 and typhoons

Kim Jong-un has wept and begged for forgiveness in a rare admission of failure during a military missile parade in North Korea.

Kim Jong-un was left in tears as he apologised to North Koreans for the daily hardships they endure as he showed off his new nuclear missile.

North Korea’s dictator had a rare showing of emotion as he welled up while speaking at a military parade in Pyongyang.

Kim took off his glasses to wipe away tears as he addressed his impoverished people who have been left battered by typhoons, the coronavirus pandemic, and sanctions.

Kim Jong-un appears to be in tears during his speech.

Pyongyang however still insists officially it has not had a single confirmed case of the killer virus which has infected almost every nation worldwide.

Speaking at the military parade that marked the 75th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling Communist Party, Kim started sobbing as he spoke.

He said: “Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily.

“I am really sorry for that.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un addresses attendees of a military parade on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang on October 10, 2020. Picture: AFP

The ‘monster’ missile needs a huge 11-axle truck to carry it. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

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It has been said the tears are a sign that Kim’s leadership is coming under pressure.

Invoking the country’s previous leaders, Kim continued; “I am entrusted with the important responsibility to lead this country upholding the cause of the great comrades Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il thanks to the trust of all the people.

“My efforts and sincerity have not been sufficient enough to rid our people of the difficulties in their lives.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the ceremonial guard. Picture: AFP

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Kim’s rare apology comes as the country continues to be rocked by hardships such as starvation and poverty - despite North Korea’s leaders funnelling millions into developing nukes.

North Korea is notoriously secretive but it is believed the regime is being stretched to the brink with a very tough 2020.

It is believed some 60 per cent of North Koreans, around 15 million people, live in absolutely poverty, according to a recent study by Vienna University.

Its GDP per capita is estimated to be around $790 - while in the UK it is around $41k - despite the extraordinary wealth of Kim and the country’s elite.

Typhoons and floods have combined with the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing famine, and a buckling economy worsened by heavy trade sanctions.

North Korea also was one of the first nations in the world to seal its borders, cutting off essential trade with its key ally China.

Kim Jong-un laughs with his generals. Picture: AFP

Hong Min, director of the North Korea division at the Korean Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Times: “It is important to look at why he has come to shed tears at such an occasion.

“Underneath his message, one can sense that Kim is feeling a lot of pressure on his leadership.”

And while Kim wept, it was his new 26 metre missile, believed to be one of the world’s largest of its kind, that attracted the world’s attention.

US President Donald Trump is said to be “angry” that Kim choose to unveil the weapon, which is believed to have range to strike the entirety of the mainland US.

Xu Tianran, an Analyst for Open Nuclear Network, told the Sun Online the missile was bigger than North Korea’s previous intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

He said: “If this project is realised, it would further raise the threat level to the US.

“However, it does send a strong political signal, and reflects the leadership’s preference for an even larger weapon.

“It could probably reach the whole of the US with a very large, high-yield nuclear warhead, or two or more warheads if the warheads are smaller and lighter.”

Kim Jong-un kisses a young North Korean girl.

‘SUPER HEAVY’

According to North Korean analysts 38 North, the weapon was much larger than any it has made in the past - including the ICBM it tested in November, 2017, sparking ire from Trump.

It said: “The new missile has been correctly characterised as the world’s largest mobile ICBM.

“But why would the North Korean’s need or want such a big missile?

“An unexpected ‘super heavy’ ICBM would be… a statement of North Korea’s technical prowess, the robustness of its ability to threaten the US, and the permanence of its nuclear weapons status.”

Trump is reported to be not happy with Kim over the new missile, despite the pals always talking up their historic and close relationship.

A source familiar with the situation told Vox that Trump is “really disappointed” in North Korea’s leader and expressed his dismay to several White House officials.

South Korean bureau Yonhap News Agency reported on Saturday that the US is in talks with Asian allies about probing the military procession.

During his speech, Kim said the missiles weren’t targeted at any country in particular.

This story was published by The Sun and reproduced with permission.