Major western media are reporting that the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un, has not been seen in public eye for nearly 3 weeks now. 

In a report by Wall Street Journal, the website speculates that Kim Jong Jun may be suffering from gout, a disease caused by excessive intake of meat, sugar and alcohol. 

They continued to say, “The South Korean official said that gout is known to run in the Kim family, harking back to Mr. Kim’s grandfather Kim Il Sung, who died at age 82 in 1994 after nearly a half-century of dictatorship.”

Time Magazine reports that the rumors of his absence intensified when he was missing from an important meeting. Images of his empty chair were broadcast, the first meeting he’s missed since his coming to power three years ago.