Seoul: South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has no health issues, despite the fact that he appeared in public with a patch on the back of his head a few days ago, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.
The patch was visible in KCNA state media images featuring Kim during a workshop of the commanders and political officers of the Korean People's Army in late July. This sparked a new wave of speculations about the North Korean leader's health in the media.
At a parliamentary session, the intelligence service said that Kim was in good health, noting that the patch was removed after a few days and there was no scar.
Images by the KCNA featuring Kim at later events confirmed that there was no band-aid on his head.
In early July, media reported that Kim lost 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) in recent months, alleging health issues behind that. The state-run North Korean media refuted the speculations, saying that the country's leader had lost weight because he was working for the good of the country. The South's media, in turn, reported that the North Korean leader had been "on a diet" but is healthy.