North Korean media confirms Kim Jong-un had COVID-19

North Korean state media confirmed Tuesday that leader Kim Jong-un had COVID-19 – after the country declared victory over the virus earlier this month.

The Communist Party paper Rodong Shinmun stated, as translated, that Kim became "seriously ill with [a] high fever" after meeting in May with infected frontline workers.

The term "high fever" is used by Pyongyang to refer to COVID. It is unclear whether Kim, who is overweight and a smoker, is still ill or suffering from so-called "long-haul" COVID symptoms.

The so-called Hermit Kingdom reported its first COVID case in May.