Rodong Sinmun Glorifies 'Tireless Efforts'
Intelligence Agencies: "Kim Jong Un Suffers Insomnia Due to Personal Threats"
North Korea is emphasizing the image of Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, as a 'dedicated leader' by reporting on his daily routine of working through the night. Amid this, there is also analysis suggesting that Chairman Kim may be experiencing health issues such as insomnia.
On the 25th, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, introduced his words in an article titled "A Great Father's Day" published on page 2, stating that "Chairman Kim's day is a different concept from that of ordinary people."
According to the Rodong Sinmun report, when an official pleaded, "Please rest even for a moment," Chairman Kim said, "Generally, people consider the day to end in the evening when work finishes or at midnight, but I consider today to last until 5 a.m. the next day and work accordingly. Just now at 5 a.m., I summarized today's work and planned the work to be carried out on the new day."
He also added, "Since I was young, staying up all night working has become a habit, and now it has become a lifestyle rule ingrained in my constitution. Concentrating on reflection during the quiet night is the best. When I stay up all night agonizing and solve a problem, I feel really refreshed, and the accumulated fatigue disappears instantly."
The newspaper also introduced an anecdote about Chairman Kim visiting a fisheries enterprise on the East Coast. It reported that upon hearing at 2 a.m. that a large amount of fish had been caught, he was so delighted that he could not sleep, even breaking into a shoulder dance.
Rodong Sinmun fervently idolized Chairman Kim with expressions such as "Today of sleepless and tireless work that has faded and changed through superhuman toil, and the people's tomorrow dawning within this today," and "The sacred world of the great father's noble dedication to the people, who postpones sleep and rest and devotes himself entirely."
In January, Rodong Sinmun also publicized Chairman Kim's hard work through the night in an article titled "The Great Party Leads Us." Subsequently, in October last year, Korean Central Television revealed footage in the documentary "The People's Father" showing him working without closing his eyes even while traveling on a special train.
However, South Korean intelligence authorities analyze that this portrayal of Chairman Kim by North Korean propaganda may be the result of insomnia and could be a sign of health problems.
In July 2016, the National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee plenary session that "Chairman Kim worries a lot due to threats to his personal safety. He suffers from insomnia and has difficulty sleeping."
Former Unification Research Institute Director Choi Jin-wook also mentioned to the British daily The Telegraph on the 8th that "I heard that Chairman Kim cries after drinking a lot," describing him as "very lonely and under pressure."
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