Japanese media raised suspicions on the 9th that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, may not have personally attended the event commemorating the founding of the North Korean regime. [Photo by Chosun Central News Agency]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Japanese media raised suspicions on the 9th that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who participated in the anniversary event of the founding of the North Korean regime, might have been a body double.
According to the Tokyo Shimbun, Kim, who was known to weigh around 140kg last November, appeared at the event looking slimmer. The newspaper reported that there is speculation over whether Kim went on a diet or if a body double attended the event.
The basis for the body double suspicion referred to Kim’s appearance at the expanded meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held last November. It stated, "Last year, Kim’s cheeks were so swollen that his neck was barely visible."
It also added that at the time, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had released an analysis stating Kim’s weight was in the 140kg range.
Ko Young-chul, a senior researcher at Takushoku University, said in an interview with the Tokyo Shimbun, "Kim’s recent appearance shows differences in his profile and hairstyle compared to before, and he looks much younger," suggesting that he might be one of the body doubles from the security unit. Ko previously worked as a North Korea analyst at the South Korean Ministry of National Defense.
However, there are counterarguments. First, the National Intelligence Service reported on July 8 that Kim Jong-un had lost 10 to 12 kg, lending weight to the diet theory. Junji Hirai, a professor of political science at Nanzan University, also dismissed the body double suspicion, saying, "Kim has returned to his appearance around 2012."
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