Kim Jong Un’s Long Absence From Public View Fuels Speculations

Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea has been missing from the public eye for the past three weeks fueling wild speculations.

Reports of  him not being sighted at any public functions have been doing the rounds for several days but analysts were sure he would not miss an important parliamentary meeting Thursday but his obvious absence has led to rumors of a health scare.

This is the first time that Kim Jong has missed a meeting at Pyongyan's parliament since his father died in 2011, according to South Korean officials, reports the Associated Press.

Kim Jong, 31,  was last seen at a concert with his wife on Sept. 3.

A television grab of the supreme leader in the summer showed him walking with a limp fueling wild theories of him suffering from wide ranging health issues.

The Washington Post reports that he might be suffering from gout, a result of eating too much rich food especially meat, sugar and alcohol.

Another story doing the rounds is that he is suffering from a sport injury picked up while helping athletes train for the Asian Games just concluded in Incheon, South Korea, reports Agence France Presse.

South Korea is always interested in the political happenings of its neighbors. At a press briefing, the South Korea Unification Ministry spokeswoman said,"North Korea has not made any official announcement... so we don't have anything to comment on."

Kim Jong has been a pervasive presence in state media reports since he took over three years ago, although it is nothing new for a North Korea leader to disappear from public view for long durations.

Experts warned against reading too much in his absence from the parliamentary meeting.

They put it down to just tiredness.

Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, pointed out that Kim Jong's  name was mentioned in the report published by the North's official KCNA news agency on the parliamentary session.

The report read that three people were elected to the National Defence Commission (NDC) "at the proposal of Marshal Kim Jong-Un", reports Agence France Presse.

"Even if he's not in great shape, there appears to be little change in Kim's grip on power," Yang said.