North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leaves the podium after his 2018 New Year speech. / Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un appears to have a kidney disease, an audio forensic expert claimed on Tuesday.

According to News 1 news service, Chungnam State University's professor Cho Dong-uk said Kim's voice during his New Year speech indicated his kidneys were not functioning as well as his other organs. Kidney disorders often cause body parts to swell.

Kim is overweight and drinks and smokes. His father, Kim Jong-il, died of what appeared to be a heart illness.

Cho said he sampled sounds from parts of the mouth, 10 each, which are said to indicate illnesses particular to body organs.

The test involved jitters, shimmer, noise-to-harmonics ratio and voice "energy."
Cho said the numbers showed Kim's lungs and heart were without a problem but his kidneys showed abnormal numbers.

Cho was quoted as saying, "At least, the samples show that his kidneys are weaker than other organs," although the test was limited.