Things are not well at home for North Korea’s rotund boy leader, according to a release by the hermit kingdom.
According to a press release the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has backed out of next month’s visit to Moscow for a World War II anniversary celebration, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
“We were informed of the decision via diplomatic channels,” Peskov said. “The decision is connected with North Korean domestic affairs.”
The visit was highly anticipated because it would have marked Kim’s first official foreign trip since inheriting the throne of North Korea in late 2011.
The move is a surprising turn of events, especially since it closely follows the news of a bloody purging in which 15 senior officials were executed recently. Expert think the developments could mean things are not stable inside the kingdom and that the young leader feels he needs to be inside the country to ensure he is not deposed.
Another theory is that Un’s medical problems are back. His immense size has caused gout and other weight related illnesses over the last few years and he recently emerged wearing a bandage on his hand. The cancelled trip could be the latest sign his medical troubles have returned and he is unable to travel due to them.
Kim was to have meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the May visit, the Tass news agency reported.
Kim’s trip had been anticipated since late December, when Russian state media reported that Moscow had extended an invitation to Pyongyang.
This year’s Victory Day marks the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia has said it has invited more than 60 world leaders to the celebrations.
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