State TV: NKoreans heartbroken over Kim’s ’emaciated looks’

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean state TV has cited an unidentified resident as saying that citizens are heartbroken because of leader Kim Jong Un’s “emaciated looks.” The comments are a rare acknowledgelment of outside speculation that Kim has recently lost a considerable about of weight. Some experts say North Korea is attempting to boost domestic support for Kim as he grapples with deepening economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.N. sanctions and natural disasters. Friday’s TV broadcast quoted the resident as saying that “Our people’s hearts ached most when we saw (Kim’s) emaciated looks.”