Unlike the last two years, North Korean TV this morning die not show video of leader Kim Jong-un making an early morning visit to the mausoleum holding the bodies of his father and grandfather to mark the anniversary of the founding of the country’s ruling (and only) Workers Party.  It’s unusual that Kim would skip such an event, and follows weeks of conspicuous absence from public view.

A source with reputed access to North Korea’s leadership told the Reuters news agency that the increasingly tubby tyrant had hurt his leg while playing soldier in military exercises.

“He ordered all the generals to take part in drills and he took part too.  They were crawling and running and rolling around, and he pulled a tendon,” the source said on condition of anonymity.  Kim subsequently “injured his ankle and knee around late August or early September while drilling because he is overweight.  He limped around in the beginning but the injury worsened”.

Instead of showing Kim Jong-un, state TV broadcast a documentary about his predecessors in the dynasty, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.  The front page of the Workers’ Party mouthpiece newspaper Rodong Sinmun ran photos of the two earlier Kims, alongside an editorial talking up the current Kim.

“Dear comrade Kim Jong Un’s sole leadership system should be thoroughly maintained,” Rodong Sinmun said.  “Dear comrade Kim Jong Un is the symbol of dignity and invincibility of the Workers’ Party and the banner of all victories and glory,” and blah blah blah, and can you imagine how awful it must have been to write that crap before computers came along with good ol’ copy-and-paste?

So there are a lot of words talking about continuous leadership, but no leader to be seen himself.  Kim’s absence has set off a lot of wishful thinking on the part of those who are still living the Cold War.  Speculation runs from gout, to chronic obesity caused by Kim’s reputed addiction to Swiss Cheese, to house arrest and a silent coup d’etat.

Meanwhile, a draft resolution from the European Union and Japan urges the UN General Assembly to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court at The Hague for prosecution for alleged human rights abuses.  A UN Commission of Inquiry report published in February detailed the use of prison camps, systematic torture, starvation, and killings comparable to Nazi-era atrocities.