By Yi Whan-woo
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has been monitoring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health using a three-dimensional video analysis program, according to a lawmaker, Friday.
The spy agency also has been analyzing soil samples collected near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which Pyongyang demolished in May to show its determination for denuclearization.
"The NIS described a 3D program designed to scan and analyze changes in a person's body during a meeting with the National Assembly Intelligence Committee," the lawmaker said on condition of anonymity. "The analysis of Kim's health condition was made possible by building a 3D image of Kim based on video samples of him and scanning them through 360 degrees."
The program can discover health problems Kim may have, such as back pain, by simply analyzing the way he walks.
The NIS has been using the program for years, but its performance "dramatically" improved recently after it was transferred to a supercomputer.
"This is something that we've seen in science fiction," the lawmaker said.
When asked about Kim's health, the NIS only said "he's pretty fine" and refused to elaborate, according to the lawmaker.
During the intelligence committee meeting, the NIS revealed it asked outside experts to analyze soil samples collected near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site after North Korea demolished it May 24.
The North invited international journalists to witness it blow up the site, in line with Kim's pledge for denuclearization.
The NIS is believed to have revealed its analysis of soil samples to underscore that it is monitoring North Korea's possible nuclear activities despite the reconciliatory mood on the Korean Peninsula.
Previously, when a nuclear test induced an artificial quake in North Korea, South Korea collected traces of radioactive material in the air over the East Sea to get information about the blast. But this method has limits in getting exact details of the test, according to sources.
