North Korea: Is Kim Jong-un suffering bad health?

NORTH Korea has been strangely quiet in the past two months, leading to fears about the health of its dictator.

NORTH Korea has not launched a ballistic missile in two months sparking fears about the health of its supreme leader.

Kim Jong-un, son of Kim Jong-il, has staged repeated weapons tests, while engaging in an increasingly bitter war of words with US President Donald Trump, The Sun reported.

The regime twice fired missiles over Japan and dramatically accelerated its nuclear weapons program.

But the Korean Peninsula has been noticeably quiet in the past 60 days, which has called into question the health of Mr Kim, according to the Daily Star.

Recent pictures show he has ballooned in weight again and appeared to be struggling.

At a cosmetic surgery Mr Kim, 33, was uneasy on his feet and needed a folding chair, while on another trip to a shoe factory his face was dripping in sweat.

Kim appeared to be sweating as he inspected the Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory a few weeks ago. Picture: KCNA

The Daily Star claimed he has been reported to be suffering with gout, diabetes and heart disease and hypertension

Three years ago a report from spies revealed that Mr Kim had gained 40kg since becoming the ruler of the Asian country.

According to South Korea’s spy agency, he binges on food and drink to cope with his constant fear of being assassinated, The Guardian reported.

Mr Kim became the top boss following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2011.

Since then the national intelligence service claimed that Mr Kim has suffered from insomnia.

Lee Cheol-woo, a member of South Korea’s ruling party, citing information from spies, said: “He keeps a close tab on any potential threats to his power, including the military, and he is obsessed with ensuring his personal safety.

Kim inspects the Tractor Factory in Nampo City, North Korea last week. Picture: AFP/KCNA

“Because of his habitual binge eating and drinking, he is likely to develop adult [lifestyle] diseases.”

In July, North Korea successfully launched the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which had the capability of reaching US territory.

Over the past few months Mr Kim and Mr Trump have exchanged repeated barbs, with the US President branding him “rocket man”, and the North Korean leader calling him a “mentally-deranged dotard” in response.

North Korea has been hardest hit by crippling new United Nations sanctions that were passed after its sixth and most powerful nuclear weapons test.

The resolution imposed a ban on condensates and natural gas liquids, a cap of 2m barrels a year on refined petroleum products and a cap on crude oil exports to North Korea at current levels.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been republished with permission.