There’s a goofy hypothesis by a Japanese scholar, that claims the North Korean leader has been dead since 2003 and for the past five years it’s been various body doubles standing in for him?
Looking at the pic in the links, I"m just thinking the guy’s gotten a big more saggy in the face, but I was wondering… how feasible would this really be? Could a country that is so tightly controlled and secretive actually get away with having a doppleganger take his place indefinitely?
I’m not wondering so much about whether or not the Japanese scholar’s claims are true, but whether or not it would be feasible for a nation to successfully have a double paraded around as their leader for 5 years.
I have no idea if he actually died in 2003 due to diabetes as purported. Really, I just wanted to stop in and point to this awesome documentary from vbs.tv about a couple journalists getting into North Korea. After watching that, I would think anything’s possible.
It’s a 14 parter, about 5 minutes to a part. Funny, mesmerizing, and sometimes sad and horrible.
He took me to his palace and he told me his secret. ‘I am not Kim Jong Il’ he said. 'My name is Lee; I inherited the country from the previous Kim Jong Il, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from is not the real Kim Jong Il either. His name was Park. The real Kim Jong Il has been dead 15 years and hidden in a temple in Pyongyang.
There is a convoluted method I have to use to do a Search on this Board now, but I’m glad I took the trouble to do it this time, because I was about to start a thread on this very same topic. Just to throw it in, here is an article in The Times of London that gives some more information.
Excerpt: "Kim’s poor health has been the subject of speculation for decades. The professor’s contribution is to cite Russian and Chinese sources saying he had diabetes and illnesses of the heart, liver and lungs, with depression thrown in.
"There have been persistent reports that a stand-in appears for Kim at military parades and he is notoriously reclusive. He did not appear in public to receive the Olympic torch in Pyongyang on April 28.
“The professor argues that no substantive policy decisions have been taken since North Korea joined nuclear disarmament talks in 2003.”
I think it’s widely agreed that Saddam Hussein had body doubles to throw off assassins, but even so, in almost any country but North Korea this would be totally absurd. With North Korea, it’s more “that’s bizarre, but it kind of figures.” Although it looks like the same guy in both pictures to me.
BBC TV speculated just a few moments ago about whether he’ll show up today (Tuesday) for North Korea’s 60th-anniversary parade. They’re mentioning the death rumors.
If he was just ill, could see using stand-ins for functions where all he does is stand there and wave. But if he’s dead why would they keep the charade going?
Why indeed. Remember, his father is still the official head of state even 14 years after his death. There’s no accounting for what goes on in that country. It’s like a black hole for logic.
You’d think that careful analysis and measurements of facial features and ratios and the Dear Leader’s height would produce a definitive answer.
If they use a body double with uncannily similar facial features but who is a couple of inches too tall, that’d be hard to consistently hide, wouldn’t it? The regime would have to ensure that “Too-Tall Kim” isn’t exposed, by similarly adjusting the heights of the top generals and advisors (with shoe lifts, probably) who stand next to him at these events.
And what of fingerprints? You’d think the Japanese, South Koreans or Americans could manage to get their hands on a current print (from a drinking glass, pen, document) and compare it to one collected years ago. Surely someone in one these countries’ intel services is doing this!
To speculate on an answer, probably not. The BBC is reporting that Kim Jong-Il was notably absent from the largest (i.e. most important to attend) military parade ever, and that various intelligence services believe he has had a stroke. I have a hard time believing that a body double wouldn’t be used in such a circumstance; hence, if there was no sign of Kim Jong-Il yesterday, there probably is no body double. My $.02.
Ah ha! But then, with all the recent talk about body doubles, they may not have allowed a body double to appear, knowing that people would take that as proof of no body doubles.