Where's N-Korean leader Kim Jong Un? Obesity to coup: Here are the conspiracy theories

Seoul: For the first time in three years, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wasn’t on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party. The apparent no-show will add to mounting speculation that something is amiss with the authoritarian leader, who hasn’t been seen publicly in more than a month.

Kim, who is thought to be 31, hasn’t been seen performing his customary public duties in state media since he attended a concert on 3 September. He had been walking with a limp and looked heavier than usual in images that aired before that. An official documentary from late last month described him as dealing with “discomfort,” which led to international speculation that he may be ill.

North Korea strictly controls information about its government and elite, so much of what happens in Pyongyang’s inner circles is hidden from the eyes of outsiders and even many average North Koreans.

This leaves media in South Korea and elsewhere to speculate, sometimes wildly, about what’s really going on. Some reports indicate that Kim could have gout, diabetes — even, from a British news story, a cheese addiction—much of it based on a single line in a documentary and unidentified sources speaking to South Korean media.

Here are the rumours doing rounds:

Swiss cheese addiction: “He is now believed to weigh at least 20 stone as a result of his fondness for heavy drinking and imported Swiss cheese, which he gained a taste for while at school in Switzerland,” the Telegraph reported.

Last seen limping, the Telegraph reported that Kim Jong Un has been gaining weight, and it reached a point where he fractured his ankles. This coupled with Cuban heels for shoes, did a number on Kim Jong’s ankles.

“His ankle injuries are said to have resulted from a long tour of military bases and factories while wearing shoes decked out with Cuban heels, which boosted his 5ft 9ins height but proved difficult to walk in. He is said to have suffered sprains on both feet first and then compounded the injuries by walking more, leading to the fractures,” the Telegraph claims.

Kim Jong Un no longer in control: Vice News reported that Kim Jong Un may no longer be in control of North Korea, and that the regime has been taken over by powerful officials from the government.

“According to Jang — a former counterintelligence official and poet laureate under Kim Jong-il — members of the government’s Organization and Guidance Department (OGD), a powerful group of officials that once reported only to Kim Jong-il, have stopped taking orders from his son, Kim Jong-un. The OGD, Jang says, has effectively taken control of the country, and a conflict is simmering between factions that want to maintain absolute control over the economy and others seeking to gain wealth through foreign trade and a slightly more open market,” Vice reported.

According to Business Insider, Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, was locked down on September 27 and remains that way. But whether the lock down indicates a coup, remains to be seen.

Speaking of no control, his sister may now be in charge: Kim Yo-jong, his 24-year-old sister, may be in charge while her brother recovers from illness, reported The Telegraph .

“Media reports have suggested that Ms Kim is already in charge of her brother’s daily schedule, “as well as coordinating every detail of his fashion and hair style,” according to South Korea’s JoongAng Daily,” The Telegraph reported.

Is he suffering from gout? The obese Kim Jong may be suffering from gout, as his rapid weight gain has shown no signs of halting, Bloomberg reported.

“For now, the betting is that the increasingly obese Kim is merely suffering from a physical ailment, most likely gout, according to reports by South Korean media, including Yonhap News. North Korea’s state broadcaster reported last month that Kim was feeling “discomfort.” On the recent surprise visit to South Korea, one of North Korea’s senior leaders reportedly told his South Korean counterpart, that there was “no problem” with Kim’s health,” the Bloomberg report says.