Kim Jong-un has gained so much weight that he is now heavy enough to become a sumo wrestler. South Korean spies believe the 42-year-old leader is at risk of dying of a heart attack, similar to how his father died.
The North Korean leader, known for an extremely unhealthy lifestyle, is believed to weigh 140kg (22st) – the lowest weight division in professional sumo wrestling. Standing at 5'7'', he is a heavy drinker and smoker, and gorges on fine cuisines from around the world while his citizens face poverty.
Health and Succession Fears
There are now legitimate fears about who will succeed Kim to lead the unstable nuclear-armed nation. If Kim Jong-un dies and a power struggle erupts, it could have catastrophic implications for the world.
Kim has long been rumoured to have developed gout in 2014 due to his fondness for cheese, lobster and endless bottles of wine. He reportedly developed a taste for Emmental cheese while at school in Switzerland.
Luxurious Diet and Drinking Habits
Shark fin soup and lobe steak are also said to excite Kim's taste buds. One chef told of a boozed-up Kim Jong-un banquet: "I was so drunk when I visited North Korea in 2012... I poked a dish of shark fin a couple of times to gesture I was enjoying it, but I was very tense and could not eat much."
Paul Smart, a former executive chef at Hanoi's Metropole hotel, said in 2019: "He likes caviar, lobster, really luxurious product Foie gras, he really likes to indulge in cuisine."
Kim is rumoured to regularly indulge in the most expensive drinks on the planet. His favourite is said to be Louis Roederer Cristal champagne, which goes for £250 per bottle. Japanese chef Kenji Fujimoto, Kim's personal sushi chef, said: "He drank a lot. His favourite was Cristal, usually about two bottles [in a sitting]."
There were also reports of Kim downing snake wine to help him have a second child with his wife. The drink is popular across South China and Southeast Asia and comes with a dead cobra in the bottom of every bottle. One South Korean expat joked: "The elite in the country joke that he is too big to please his wife and that's why they do not have any other children. One senior official said that Kim was drinking many bottles of snake wine to help him in the bedroom department."
Line of Succession
The concerns around Kim Jong-un's health come months after it was reported that his 13-year-old daughter was being groomed to take over the reins of power. Kim Ju-ae has been accompanying her father to more and more events, including weapon testing and parades.
State media has said she is Kim's favourite child and is likely to be installed as leader when she is old enough. However, until then, his merciless younger sister Yo-jong is tipped to take the throne if anything happens to Kim Jong-un.
Michael Madden, who monitors North Korea's leadership, believes Yo-jong would be Kim's immediate successor before power is handed over to Kim Ju-ae. The planned line of succession may not come to be, as Yo-jong is said to be absolutely ruthless and could decide she wants to keep the power for herself.
