Mysteriously skinnier Kim Jong Un berates underlings for allowing "great crisis" with COVID

Seoul — North Korea was one of the most isolated nations on the planet even before the coronavirus pandemic led dictator Kim Jong Un to shut its borders more than a year and a half ago. The Kim regime has claimed ever since then that its drastic measures have successfully kept COVID-19 out of North Korea, but while first-hand information from inside the "Hermit Kingdom" is virtually non-existent, even Kim appeared to acknowledge this week that his country is struggling.

The ruler's own dramatic, unexplained weight loss, meanwhile, has renewed speculation that he could be struggling personally with health issues. Kim publicly berated senior officials within his regime earlier this week for failing to secure the country from COVID-19, accusing the unnamed individuals of, "creating a great crisis in ensuring the security of the state and safety of the people," which he said had resulted in unspecified "grave consequences."