Amid his rapid weight loss this year and other health mysteries, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has continued to take longer and more frequent breaks out of the public eye, a trend that started last year.

As of Friday, Kim recorded his seventh break of two or more weeks out of sight this year — a record only surpassed in 2020 while he navigated the first year of the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

His current absence of 14 days and counting follows a military parade he attended in Pyongyang on Sept. 9. It also coincides with two missile tests