Mick Hartley

Kim Jong-un is looking thinner – the poor man:

North Korea’s state television has aired a rare comment about Kim Jong-un’s “emaciated” condition after footage of the slimmed down autocrat earlier this month prompted international speculation about his health.

In a report by KCTV, an unnamed resident of the capital, Pyongyang, claimed everyone was upset by his weight loss. "Seeing our respected general secretary looking emaciated breaks our people's hearts the most,” he said. "Everyone is talking about how their tears welled up immediately." 

Commentary about the Kim dynasty’s personal lives is normally forbidden, leading analysts to suggest that the message was calculated to frame the reclusive leader’s changing physique as a sign of his devotion to the nation at a time of spiralling food shortages and economic crisis.

Emaciated? Hardly.

February to June. Just a tad less obese.

I imagine a few other Pyongyang residents might have had a different response, but they'll have kept their thoughts to themselves.

In the meantime:

South Korea is to build its own version of Israel’s “Iron Dome” rocket shield to protect its capital against artillery and rocket attacks from North Korea.

The government in Seoul gave formal approval today to plans to spend 2.89 trillion won (£1.8 billion) on the project that will begin next year and is expected to take 13 years to finish.

“The project is designed to secure an interceptor system with our own technologies to boost our capabilities of countering enemies’ long-range artillery threats so as to protect core facilities and military and security infrastructure,” the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration said.

“Through this project, it is expected that the ability to respond to the threat of enemy long-range artillery will be strengthened, as well as securing domestic technology and creating domestic jobs.”

Half of South Korea’s 52 million people live in greater Seoul, which is only 40 miles from the border with North Korea. In reinforced bunkers along the strip separating the two countries Pyongyang has the world’s largest collection of artillery.

In the circumstances this seems like a very good idea.