North Korean leader , Kim Jong Un has n't been seen at a public event for three weeks , including a prominent state meeting that he has attended every year since coming to power in late 2011 . On Thursday , Kim was conspicuously absent from the Supreme People 's Assembly , which is North Korea 's parliament attended by officials of the party , the military and various national organizations . A prominent seat remained empty on stage surrounded by North Korea 's top brass . Is Kim Jong Un still in charge of North Korea ? `` We expected to see him at the Supreme People 's Assembly , because he had attended that session every time , '' said Yoo Ho-Yeol , a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul . `` So we are speculating that he might have problems in his health . '' On Thursday , North Korean state TV referred to Kim , saying , `` The wealth and prosperity of our socialism is thanks to the painstaking efforts of our marshal , who keeps lighting the path for the people , like the flicker of a flame , despite suffering from discomfort . '' 'Abundant evidence ' of crimes against humanity in North Korea , panel says . The 31-year-old leader 's absence has fueled speculation that Kim has a health problem , as some observers have pointed to weight gain , as well as a limp when he was seen walking in July . Korea 's state-run news agency , KCNA , routinely catalogs Kim 's activities and public appearances . A count of KCNA announcements about Kim 's public appearances went from 24 events in July to 16 in August . It dwindled to just one event in September . His last listed public appearance was a September 3 concert , which he attended with his wife Ri Sol Ju , according to KCNA . North Korea : 'We were forced to eat grass and soil ' While it 's difficult to know what 's happening in North Korea , the absence of its leader from public view has given hints in the past . `` We had that kind of occasion when Kim Jong Il was seriously sick in 2008 , '' said Yoo . That year , the elder Kim 's absence from parades and national events raised questions about the leader 's health . U.S. and South Korean intelligence believed that Kim Jong Il had suffered severe health problems and possibly a stroke . Kim died at the age of 69 , in December 2011 , and his son assumed command . North Korea : We have the 'most advantageous human rights system '
North Korean state TV says Kim Jong Un is ` ` suffering from tuberculosis '' North Korea 's Kim Jong Un does not attend a prominent state meeting . Speculations are rampant that Kim has health problems because of his limping . KCNA shows that Kim 's last public appearance was on September 21st .