North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Conducts Overnight Hospital Inspection, Raising Questions About Health & Work demands
Recent photographic evidence released by North Korean state media depicts leader Kim jong-un conducting an inspection of a hospital in the early morning hours, prompting speculation about his reported sleep disorder and its potential impact on the work schedules of top officials. The inspection, which appears to have spanned from approximately 3:40 AM to dawn, involved Kim issuing instructions and reviewing facilities while most of the country slept.
This pattern of nocturnal activity isn’t isolated. A May 2022 Politburo meeting also commenced in the darkness, beginning around 2:00 AM according to clocks visible in released images. These instances,coupled with a 2023 report from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee,suggest Kim Jong-un might potentially be grappling with a significant sleep disorder.”[Kim Jong-un] is estimated to be suffering from considerable sleep disturbance,” stated then-National Assembly Intelligence Committee member Yu Sang-beom in may 2023, citing intelligence gathering focused on insomnia treatments and medications like Zolpidem.
The hospital inspection itself unfolded over several hours. Kim was photographed in the hospital lobby at 3:40 AM, examining a hospital room at 4:10 AM, and walking a hallway with a clock displaying 5:37 AM.The later stages of the inspection occurred as daylight emerged, indicating a prolonged engagement.
The NIS report and the recurring instances of late-night or early-morning meetings and inspections raise concerns that Kim’s personal health challenges may be extending to demands on his inner circle, forcing high-ranking executives to participate in work activities during unconventional hours. The SBS report, which details these observations, can be found at https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/reporterPage.do?reporterId=cs7922&plink=REPOTER&cooper=ZUM.
