Kim Jong Un appears in public without walking stick

North Korean media have released pictures of Kim Jon Un that show him walking without the use of a cane.

In photos released by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, run by the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim is seen smiling and walking alongside hundreds of troops applauding him.

He was attending a meeting of battalion commanders and political instructors in Pyongyang.

"The photo dispels the lingering sense of uncertainty that was associated with the cane," said Yoo Ho Yeol, a professor of North Korea studies at Korea University based at Sejong in South Korea. "He's trying to show he can walk without a problem."

Speculation grew about the reclusive North Korean leader’s health in recent weeks after he emerged from a six week absence in mid-October with a prominent limp and using a walking stick.

Kim, believed to be around 30, recently had a cyst removed from his right ankle.

Bloomberg