Though there were no major new weapons on display at North Korea’s first military parade since US President Joe Biden took office, that was broadcast on Thursday, there was a lot of attention on the new-look of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has undergone a noticeable weight loss over the past months.
Whatever he is doing to get this thin frame, he looks a lot better than what he did a few months ago. The 37-year-old leader returned to the public eye after being absent for most of May, which had raised questions about his health.
At the parade, Kim also appeared to pay homage to his grandfather with a haircut similar to one sported by Kim Il Sung about 70 years ago.
The North Korean leader may have dropped at least 20 kilograms (44 pounds) over the past several months, according to a South Korean lawmaker briefed by a spy agency official in July.
He wore a tan-coloured suit, waved, smiled and gave a thumbs-up as thousands of paramilitary forces marched for more than an hour in Pyongyang.