North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un really loves to eat.

While most of his country suffers from extreme poverty and hunger, this luxury-loving leader gorges on the finest imported foods he can find. He’s always been a little chubby, but recently released photographs show that Jong Un’s weight has ballooned to epic proportions.

The despot loves to show off his wealth by throwing lavish parties overflowing with all the best food and alcohol. And with $5 billion at his disposal, he certainly has the funds to do it.

These shocking new photos make it clear he’s been helping himself to seconds (and thirds).

The dictator’s weight is becoming a huge problem

The issue with his gluttony is more serious than just finding tailors to let out the seams of his designer suits. Sources close to the dictator have real concerns about his health, especially following an incident in 2012 when he developed a cyst in his ankle from carrying so much excess weight. And besides overeating, he’s often photographed with a cigarette dangling from his lips, a habit that everyone knows is unhealthy.

Next: Here’s what we know about his eating habits.



Not many people know about the dictator’s secret eating habits

Details about life inside the “Hermit Kingdom” of Kim Jong Un are few and far between. But even with this attempt at shrouding the dictator’s daily routine, a few tidbits about what he likes to eat and drink have gone public via Business Insider. The little we do know proves that he has champagne tastes to match his extraordinary budget.

Next: A former staff chef reveals one of Kim’s most beloved Japanese dishes.



Kim loves to stuff himself with sushi

Kenji Fujimoto served as Kim Jong Un’s father’s personal chef for 13 years. In his memoir, Fujimoto recalled that the younger Kim had a taste for sushi from a tender age. He told the Daily Mail, “I used to make sushi for the General (Jong Il) at least once a week and Jong Un always joined the dinner. So I could say Jong Un liked sushi.”

While sushi isn’t a naturally high-calorie food, anything consumed in excess will lead to excessive weight gain.

Next: This expensive champagne is always flowing.



He’s constantly popping bottles of Cristal

The dictator also has a taste for champagne, and, as expected, he only buys the finest options. In his interview, Fujimoto mentions the free-flowing Cristal, which Jong Un would consume to excess. He recalls the dictator often downing two full bottles of Cristal in a single sitting.

Next: This is one thing Jong Un refuses to have from his own country.



When it comes to liquor, he’ll only sip the best

Domestically made liquor just isn’t good enough for Kim. Sources say he spends an average of $30 million per year on importing liquor to share with his inner circle. Naturally, he prefers the most expensive brands and drops upwards of $2,000 on a single bottle of Hennessy.

Next: His dining choices come shipped from faraway places.



He spends millions importing foreign delicacies

Pork from Denmark, caviar from Iran, melon from China, Kobe beef, etc. The controversial dictator never settles for second best when it comes to dining. No one besides the man himself knows exactly how much he spends on bringing the finest cuisine into the county, but sources estimate the figure is in the millions.

Next: He ate so much of this next food that he got sick for weeks.



Kim once ate so much cheese he had to go into hiding

Kim Jong Un’s obsession with cheese is legendary. According to London’s UK Metro, Kim had to step back from the public eye for a brief period after consuming too much Emmental cheese imported from Sweden. This was after he sent members of his staff to a seven-month cheese-making course at the National Dairy Industry College in France.

Next: Kim will only eat this next type of meat if it’s 100% authentic.



The dictator’s favorite kind of meat comes from Japan

Only the best will do for Kim, which is why he feasts on Kobe beef at every available opportunity. Kobe is the world’s most rare and prized type of meat. It comes from the Japanese cattle breed Wagyu, which is often imitated but never duplicated.

Next: This drink is said to help the dictator’s sex life.



He relies on snake wine for better times in the bedroom

If the rumors are true, then snake wine — which comes with a dead cobra in the bottle — helps to improve virility. The UK Metro reported that Jong Un was seen chugging this potent stuff to get a little help conceiving a second child with his wife, Ri Joi-Su.

Next: Kim Jong Un once drank 10 bottles of this wine.



The dictator prefers Bordeaux

Kim once boasted that he drank “10 bottles of Bordeaux” at a single meal. If that’s true, he consumed approximately 6,000 calories in wine alone. Yikes.

Next: Kim Jong Un’s coffee budget is ridiculous.



A huge portion of his budget went to Brazilian coffee

The Daily Mirror reports that Kim spent a whopping 715,000 pounds ($941,812) on fine Brazilian coffee in a single year. That’s a lot of cash to spend on a few cups of Joe — especially considering that North Korea’s capital Pyongyang is one of the few places you can’t find a Starbucks.

Next: This could be the reason why Kim Jong Un eats so much.



He’s probably getting fat on purpose

In South Korea and many Western countries, being thin is preferable and obesity is more common for low-income individuals. But in North Korea the opposite is true.

A portly stature is a symbol of great wealth because only people who can afford food are able to maintain a high BMI. So, some speculate that Kim’s weight gain is fully intentional — a way for him to show off how much food he’s able to access.

Next: There’s a huge divide between wealthy and poor North Koreans.



Kim Jong Un may be living large, but his people are starving

One report found that 75.1% of the country’s population — 25.1 million people — is classified as food insecure, and chronic malnutrition is rampant. North Korea scored 28.6 on the Global Hunger Index, indicating that the country is in serious trouble.

Next: He learned to appreciate food from his dad.



A love for food runs in the family

Kim Jong Un’s late father and former North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il, was a huge fan of strange foods such as shark fin soup and dog meat soup, which he ate to promote immunity and virility. Like his son, he was also a huge customer of Hennessey.

Next: Kim Jong Il had a really weird requirement for rice.



At least he’s not as picky about his rice, though

Kim Jong Un eats a fair amount of rice, but he might be a little less picky about it than his dad was. The former supreme leader of North Korea supposedly had a team of women in charge of making sure every grain of rice was the same size, shape, and color.

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