North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is ill, the country’s state media confirmed on Friday, a day after the young dictator was absent from a key parliamentary meeting.
The announcement is the first time the regime has admitted that Mr. Kim is not well.
Xinhua cited reports by North Korean media that Mr. Kim was still “enthusiastically” leading the country, despite being ill.
The dictator, who is said to be 31, was last seen in public on September 3 at a concert, where video footage captured him walking with a limp.
Thursday’s meeting was the first of its kind that Mr. Kim had failed to attend since he came to power three years ago.