Is the real Kim Jong Il dead?

[pirtybirdy]

This from The Sunday Times:

Is Kim Jong Il for real? The question has baffled foreign intelligence agencies for years, but a veteran Japanese expert on North Korea says the “dear leader” is actually dead — and his role is played by a double.

The expert says Kim died of diabetes in 2003 and world leaders, including Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hu Jintao of China, have been negotiating with an imposter.

He believes that Kim, fearing assassination, had groomed up to four look-alikes to act as substitutes at public events. One underwent plastic surgery to make his appearance more convincing. Now, the expert claims, the actors are brought on stage whenever required to persuade the masses that Kim is alive.

The author has been derided by rival analysts of the hermetic communist state. Yet so few facts are known about North Korea’s ruling dynasty that some of the strange things reported in Professor Toshimitsu Shigemura’s bestselling book cannot be readily explained.

“Scholars don’t trust my reasoning but intelligence people see the possibility that it will turn out to be accurate,” he said. “I have identified and pinned down every source.”

The book, "The True Character of Kim Jong-il," cites sources from inside North Korea and from the intelligence services of Japan and South Korea.


2001 picture

2006 picture
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I put this in conspiracies, because obviously it's speculation and nothing has been proven. It's pretty interesting, though I think from looking at the pictures it's the true Kim Jong Il. Any thoughts? I know they say the fake one had plastic surgery, but everything including moles looks to be the same, and I don't think plastic surgeons are that freakin' good. Besides, fake or not, it's still an oppressed society no matter who's sitting there in the leader's chair.

[faceless]

where are the pictures? I looked on The Times site, but there's none there.

[pirtybirdy]

[faceless]

cool, well it looks like the same person to me too - the lines around his jawline and the shape of his ears seem right.

The story's all a bit James Bond though isn't it? The investigator probably thinks you can find him inside a hollowed-out volcano too...

[Skylace]

Looks like the same person to me as well. Like you said pirty the moles and everything are in the same place. Not to mention the bone structure is the same and even the eye brows.

[luke]

there was a similar theory regarding saddam hussein, in the pictures released after his capture compared to earlier pictures his teeth were different. the old saddam had alright teeth - nice and straight, the teeth of the one who was caught and appeared in court were wonky ... at the time there was some high quality pictures comparing them and his teeth really did look different!

see if you can find any pictures of kim jong il's teeth!

[eefanincan]

Looks like the same person to me..... aside from moles and jaw structure, if you look at the bottom of his chin, there's a vein there that no plastic surgeon could simulate.

[pirtybirdy]

[faceless]

I'm not sure what the joke is meant to be here...

[pirtybirdy]

Me neither. Now I hear he had a stroke and may be incapicitated, but South Korea says he's fine. So, in conclusion, a Japanese "expert" says the real guy is dead, and the US and China think he's had a stroke and not doin' so good, and the South Koreans think he's just grand. lol! Stay tuned...lol!

[luke]

[faceless]

Kim Jong Il is now officially dead - Sky News told me.

[faceless]

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YLP0aTpOYrs" frameborder="0"></iframe>

I just found this - it's a 2hr dose of patriotism about Kim Jong Il's death. you can get somewhat of a translation by clicking the CC button and getting it to transcribe into English.