North Korean state TV acknowledges Thursday that leader Kim Jong Un is suffering from "discomfort."
It is the first official report of ill health after a prolonged period out of the public eye.
The 31-year old Kim who is frequently the centerpiece of the country's propaganda, has not been photographed by state media since appearing at a concert alongside his wife September 3.
He had been seen walking with a limp during an event with key officials in July, and in a pre-recorded documentary broadcast by state media on Thursday.
The documentary was followed by a pre-recorded broadcast of a North Korean Supreme People's Assembly meeting from which Kim Jong Un was notably absent.
