South Korea uses AI to ‘weigh’ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
South Korea does not say what software has been used to estimate Kim Jong Un’s weight – but cites an intelligence report which suggests the North Korean leader may be battling insomnia.
Thursday 1 June 2023 12:26, UK
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March 2021
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un addresses the first short course for chief secretaries of the city and county Party committees in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released March 7, 2021 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS
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File pic: KCNA/Reuters
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South Korean officials have used artificial intelligence to estimate the weight of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“He appeared tired with clear dark circles around his eyes during his public appearance on May 16, and was estimated to weigh over 140kg according to AI analysis,” Yoo Sang-bum, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters after a briefing by the National Intelligence Service.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae meet with members of the Non-permanent Satellite Launch Preparatory Committee, as he inspects the country's first military reconnaissance satellite, in Pyongyang, North Korea
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The North Korean leader and his daughter Kim Ju Ae in May. Pic: KCNA/Reuters
He did not say what software had been used, but said the North Korean leader was believed to be suffering from a “severe” sleeping disorder, citing an intelligence report that North Korea has been intensively collecting the latest medical information on insomnia treatment for its top official.
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South Korea’s spy agency is monitoring the possibility of Kim Jong Un falling into a “vicious cycle” of increased dependence on alcohol and nicotine, and experiencing worsening insomnia given the large amount of foreign cigarettes and snacks being shipped into the North, he added.
The North Korean leader’s heavy frame has drawn global interest since he became the country’s leader almost a decade ago.
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There has been speculation over the years about his health – which is a closely guarded state secret, as is his birth date – he is believed to be 39 years old.
His weight loss a few years ago had some speculating that it could be due to ill health.
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un (C) attends a paramilitary parade held to mark the 73rd founding anniversary of the republic at Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang in this undated image supplied by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 9, 2021. KCNA via REUTERS
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A slimmed down Kim Jong Un pictured in September 2021. Pic: KCNA/Reuters
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However, pictures of him examining a military spy satellite with his daughter last month appear to show he has gained weight since then.
The third-generation hereditary leader came to power after his father Kim Jong Il died in 2011 from a heart attack.
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Kim Jong Un
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