North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is heavy drinking and regularly crying as he battles a midlife crisis, experts claim.
The dictator turned 39 earlier this week and is living an unhealthy lifestyle, with his long absences from the public eye suggesting he is battling serious health problems.
Now, Dr Choi Jinwook, a Seoul-based North Korea academic, says the leader is facing fresh anxieties over his personal health and safety as he nears 40
“I heard he is crying after drinking a lot. He is very lonely and under pressure,” Dr Jinwook told the Telegraph, via Daily Star.
The report states Kim is overweight, a heavy smoker and "drinking fine spirits and wines like a fish".
The North Korea' dictator has been told by his doctors and wife to cut back and exercise more frequently, however the leader is apparently ignoring these pleas.
It's reported that Kim is so concerned about his health he travels with his own toilet on rare trips abroad, to prevent spies from scouring his poo for clues.
Kim's dad, Kim Jong Il, died of heart failure at the age of 69 in 2011 and the Supreme Leader's anxieties could be down to his dad's death.
Kim Jong Il reportedly suffered a stroke in 2008 and had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, and also was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
Anna Fifield, North Korea expert, told the Telegraph that Kim Jong-un experienced an “abnormal childhood” and a “dysfunctional family” dynamic.
“From a very early age he was treated like a princeling in a way that not even the British Royal family would be,” she added.
Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, said: “His goal is very simple – to die a natural death in his palace, decades later. He wants to stay in power.
“He understands… if he loses power, very soon he will probably lose his life and everyone who he loves.”
Lankov added: “He is protecting his life, not lifestyle.”
From January 2022, Kim has test-launched a fleet of ballistic and cruise missiles - including a nuclear warhead with a range of more than 9,300 miles, within reach of the US mainland.
Just before Christmas, the country fired a ballistic missile at the Sea of Japan days after US and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea viewed as an invasion rehearsal.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred on December 23 but gave no further details, such as what type of weapon was fired and how far it flew.
The US flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint training with South Korean warplanes on December 20.
North Korea typically calls such military exercises by the US and South Korea an invasion rehearsal.
