Name? Kim Jong-un
Westphalian identity? North Korean
Age? 8 January 1982 (age 39) (North Korean records), 8 January 1983 (age 38) (South Korean records), 8 January 1984 (age 37) (American records)
Why is he in the news? Our good old friend Kim has lost quite a lot of weight…In a recent appearance, his face did seem slimmer and his watch was worn more tightly around his wrist than usual. Furthermore, North Korean State TV has recently published an interview of an ordinary citizen voicing concern over the Supreme Leader’s weight loss.
Why do we care? We are also part of the world that overanalyses the Supreme Leader’s health. To be honest, we are just scared of his sister succeeding him..Not only did she gain influence in North Korean politics this past year of Kim’s on and off appearances, but she is also becoming the most likely one to succeed him.
Why should you care? And Kim Yo-jong’s more extreme stance on North Korea’s policy is a reason for all of us. Whether it is about South Korea’s safety, North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, or the safety of their own population. When a country of 25 million is at risk, you should care 8/10.
Who else cares? David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme. North Korea is experiencing the worst famine since the 1990’s food crisis; which even Kim himself admitted. However, he is not letting Beasley or the WFP deliver any food into North Korea because he does not want their supervisors entering the country. Partly for Covid-19 reasons, partly because he does not want anyone to oversee the food distribution.
Any further comments? The exact reasons why North Korean propaganda has made Kim’s health an issue remain unknown. We can only speculate that it is sending a message to his population about how hard their supreme leader is working to resolve the ongoing food crisis.
