“They emphasized that it is prohibited to share any stories about the health of the leader, who they said had become emaciated due to the piling up of national affairs. “Although Sariwon did not convene an emergency meeting of residents to reassure them that the Highest Dignity is healthy, it did caution people in neighborhood watch meetings not to mention his health,” said the second source, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “But on the other hand, some of the residents agreed, saying that Kim’s weight loss would not be a bad thing, as the way he appeared before he lost weight seemed to be more dangerous to his health,” said the source.Ī resident of the city of Sariwon in North Hwanghae province, south of the capital Pyongyang, told RFA that neighborhood watch units there have also warned people not to gossip about Kim’s health. “This is the first time that authorities have felt the need to officially explain through neighborhood watch units in every region that the Highest Dignity has no health problems,” the source said. Some attendees at the meeting said they were heartbroken that their leader was suffering alone as the country faces its greatest crisis, but the attendees were only saying what the meeting leaders wanted to hear, the source said. “The neighborhood watch units also said the sudden weight loss is not due to a health problem, but rather that he is suffering in solitude for the sake of the country and people in crisis,” said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “As stories of health problems related to the Highest Dignity’s weight loss spread among the residents, many of the neighborhood watch units here in Chongjin made official statements to the people at their weekly meeting, saying that it is a ‘reactionary act’ to talk about the leader’s health,” a resident of the northeastern port city said on Aug. Their attempts to stop people from discussing Kim’s health have seemingly failed, however, sources told RFA. RFA reported that at the time that authorities considered the spreading of rumors about the Kim’s health to be treason and launched investigations to find out where such talk began. Kim was noticeably thinner when he appeared in state media in June following a prolonged absence, and speculation among the public began. Government authorities have been pushing the narrative that Kim, referred to as the “Highest Dignity,” is healthy, and that his recent weight loss shows him suffering alongside his people, who are struggling with chronic food insecurity made worse by the effects of a prolonged coronavirus pandemic. North Korea has warned citizens to refrain from talking about national leader Kim Jong Un’s health after he recently lost weight, calling such gossip as a “reactionary act,” sources in the country say.