Mumbai, June 1:  According to South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), quoted by Bloomberg, the North Korean government is ‘intensily’ gathering overseas medical data for high-ranking officials with insomnia, including information on medications used to treat it, like Zolpidem.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may have a sleep disorder and a potentially worsening alcohol and nicotine dependency, the agency said on Wednesday. North Korea Braces Up To Use Nuclear Weapon Material As Kim Jong Un Asks People To Scale Up Production.

The executive secretary of the parliamentary intelligence committee and a legislator for the People Power Party in South Korea, Yoo Sang-bum, gave reporters details of the NIS briefing. He said that North Korea had just acquired a sizable quantity of Western cigarettes, including Marlboro and Dunhill, as well as upscale appetisers often offered with alcoholic beverages.

Additionally, Mr. Yoo claimed that Mr. Kim also looks to have put on weight based on artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of recent photos. He estimates that the North Korean leader weighs more over 140 kilogrammes.

According to the New York Post, Mr. Yoo claimed that Mr. Kim appeared to be becoming caught in a "vicious cycle" of dependence on drinking and smoking, which was causing him to experience "significant sleep disorders." The intelligence committee member said Mr. Kim is also stockpiling "medications such as zolpidem, for the treatment of insomnia," adding that "he appeared tired with clear dark circles around his eyes during his public appearance on May 16".

In his remarks to reporters, Mr. Yoo also mentioned how the situation for North Koreans has gotten worse due to growing food shortages and a rise in grain prices to their highest point since Mr. Kim assumed control. The South Korean official claimed that the country has seen an upsurge in crimes, suicides, and starving deaths. North Korea Orders Girls Having The Same Name As Kim Jong Un's Daughter To Change Their Names, Imposes Ban on Use of Name 'Ju Ae': Report. 

Meanwhile, North Korea recently failed to put a satellite into orbit but pledged to try again soon. The Seoul government issued a false emergency notice in response to this occurrence, which spread panic. The North Korean leader most certainly saw the launch, the intelligence service of South Korea informed MPs.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2023 11:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).