North Korea acknowledges leader Kim Jong Un has health problems

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.