Kim Jong-un lost up to three stone during a gruelling diet prompted by fears for his health, South Korea spies claim.
Having disappeared from the spotlight the North Korean despot re-emerged in recent weeks looking considerably less weighty - with reports suggesting he'd gone to a secret fitness retreat.
The National Intelligence Service from across the border says the dictator has so far lost up to 20kg, NK News reports.
Member of the country's intelligence committee MP Kim Byeong-kee said the NIS reported Kim "recently lost around 10 to 20 kilograms of weight, and is conducting normal governance activities".
The statement indicates the South pays close attention to the dictator's weight, according to the news outlet.
Kim, 37, has long been obese, with his previously poor diet - which included vast amounts of Swiss cheese, caviar, lobster and wine - adding to the health problems caused by his heavy smoking habit.
But photos published by Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency and on state television in June show him looking considerably smaller, initially sparking concerns he was unwell.
In a bizarre public broadcast about the supreme leader's health, state media discussed his "emaciated" condition.
"Seeing respected general secretary (Kim Jong Un) looking emaciated breaks our people's heart so much," an unnamed man in Pyongyang was quoted as saying. "Everyone is saying that their tears welled up."
The NIS estimates he weighed 22 stone last year at his heaviest, packing on the equivalent of a stone a year since he took power in 2011.
It has not been revealed exactly how he shed the pounds but analysts say his Government is using his trimmer appearance to glorify him as a "devoted, hardworking" leader amid the country's food crisis.
Defector Ahn Chan-il previously said: "The message Pyongyang is sending is that Kim is a leader who works very hard for his people even to a degree he skips meals and loses weight."
It comes as Kim fired dozens of officials for causing a “crisis” in the fight against coronavirus and a battle to combat the growing famine.
Victims of the despot's purge include a member of the politburo's top standing committee, which only has five members - including Kim himself.
Kim has previously said the state-run economy cannot feed its citizens amid the growing famine, admitting the situation is "getting tense".
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) said the country has just two months worth of supplies left.
Kim has, however, continued to claim there have been no Covid cases in North Korea, despite bringing in strict lockdown measures, including border closures and domestic travel restrictions.
