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TOKYO — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been hospitalized after surgery on both ankles earlier this month, a South Korean newspaper reported.

Kim cracked bones in his ankles after neglecting an injury sustained during field supervisions in June, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing a recent visitor to North Korea it didn’t identify. The person said Kim had surgery and is recovering at Bongwha Clinic, an exclusive hospital for high-ranking party members, according to the newspaper.

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Kim has not been seen in public in almost a month and missed a session of parliament on Sept. 25 for the first time since coming to power almost three years ago. In an unusual acknowledgment, North Korean state television said he was experiencing “discomfort,” and South Korea’s Yonhap News reported he is believed to be suffering from gout.

Tuesday’s report comes as Glyn Davies, the top U.S. envoy for North Korea, said the isolated state is neglecting its responsibilities to end its nuclear weapon program. Speaking in Beijing on a trip through North Asia, Davies told reporters Monday it’s essential that North Korea moves toward denuclearization.