Seoul says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is 'extremely obese'

South Korea's National Intelligence Service has characterised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "extremely obese" in a confidential assessment, raising fresh concerns about his health and fitness to govern the secretive state.

The evaluation underscores growing international attention on the 40-year-old leader's physical condition, which analysts say could have significant geopolitical consequences for the Korean peninsula and broader Asia-Pacific region.

Kim's health is viewed as a critical variable by intelligence agencies and policymakers across East Asia. Officials have long noted that his sudden incapacity or death could trigger a succession crisis in Pyongyang, potentially destabilising the regime and prompting unpredictable policy shifts affecting neighbouring countries, particularly South Korea and Japan.

The North Korean leadership has not publicly addressed assessments of Kim's health. The regime maintains strict control over information about its top officials and typically does not engage with foreign commentary on internal matters.