Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader who has mysteriously been missing from the public eye for almost a month, sparking rumours ranging from a stroke to a coup d'etat, is apparently just recovering from ankle surgery.Mr Kim had fractured both of his ankles
He got so pudge his ankles collapsed?
and had surgery in Pyongyang in the middle of September to treat them, the Chosun Ilbo, South Korea's largest newspaper, reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source.
"I heard that Kim Jong-un injured his right ankle in June after pushing ahead with on-site visits and ended up fracturing both ankles because he left the injury unattended," the source said, adding that the leader had had the operation at the Bonghwa Clinic, an exclusive hospital for high-ranking party members.
Such is the fascination with North Korea, the world's most impenetrable country, that rumours spread like wildfire. But they are almost always impossible to verify.
Nevertheless, it is true that Mr Kim has become noticeably more
| All that weight, something had to give... |
| Gout, sepsis or sucking chest wound, in increasing order of preference... |
Outside commentators have guessed that Mr Kim has gout, which runs in the family, or has been drinking and eating too much. Diabetes and high blood pressure have also been put forward as possible causes of his absence.
| If we had a CIA worth anything they'd be spreading the rumor on Weibo that Pudgy's been off'd and that some clique of generals is running the show. And they're planning to whack some other generals... |
| We at the Burg would sure enjoy it. Pass the popcorn, Barbara... |