The carefully choreographed video opens with Kim gazing thoughtfully into the horizon on horseback as the sun rises over a beach and small waves roll into the shore. 

The theme of his horsemanship continues as he is seen riding through a forest in summertime, alongside senior military officials, before the footage cuts to more dramatic scenes of tanks lining up in a field for a firing practice that engulfs them in white smoke. 

The emphasis on conventional warfare follows a prolonged show of military might in January after Pyongyang clocked up a record seven major weapons tests, the most ever in a calendar month. 

The country’s military build-up has continued unabated despite its economic woes. North Korea has also threatened to abandon a self-imposed moratorium on launching long-range and nuclear weapons, blaming “hostile” US policy for forcing its hand.

Kim’s physique has long prompted debate about chronic diseases that could impair his ability to lead.

Personal details about the reclusive leader are highly classified, and intelligence agencies keep a close watch on his weight fluctuations for any signs of illness that could bring about a sudden change in leadership or instability in a country known to be developing nuclear weapons.

Kim, reported to be a heavy smoker and drinker and fond of culinary delicacies, has piled on the pounds since rising to power.

According to one assessment by South’s National Intelligence Service, he was 90kg in 2012 but had ballooned to 140kg by 2020.