A newly resurfaced video is adding more fuel to theories that Kim Jong Un’s recent public appearance was really a body double.
The North Korean leader was seen in pictures released earlier in the week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a fertilizer plant, the first time in nearly three weeks that Kim made a public appearance. There had been growing rumors that he had either fallen seriously ill or died, and North Korea’s silence on the matter exacerbated the rumors.
The images of Kim released by North Korean state-run media sparked rumors on the internet that the person seen in the photos was not actually Kim but instead a body double. There had been reports claiming that Kim regularly used body doubles at public appearances. Now, a report from the United Kingdom’s Sun provides evidence that Kim has been known to use lookalikes in the past. The 2017 video showed the North Korean leader standing with a pair of body doubles as he showed off a missile.
As the New York Post added, the two men were nearly identical to Kim in appearance and sported similar fade haircuts with matching suits.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, some sharp-eyed internet sleuths believed they spotted clear differences in the facial features, hairline, and dental features of the man seen in the pictures released this week. The idea was also pushed by human rights activist Jennifer Zeng, whose viral tweet pointing out the apparent differences between the men helped fuel the initial theories.
“The chipped incisor is a definite giveaway it’s not Kim Jong Un,” one observer tweeted . “So why a body double? If he’s dead why not just announce it and crown his successor?”
As the New York Post pointed out, there was some disagreement among those poring over the photos of Kim. While some believed there were clear differences between past pictures of Kim and the pictures released this week, others believe that the comparison photos themselves may have been doctored in order to push the body double theory.
There had been speculation growing for weeks about Kim’s health, starting when he missed a ceremony on April 15 celebrating the birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea’s founding father. Subsequent reports claimed that Kim had either fallen into a vegetative state or died following a botched heart procedure.
However, later reports claimed that Kim may be hiding out in the coastal resort town of Wonsan after members of his inner circle contracted the coronavirus.
