North Korea isn't using a Kim Jong Un body double, South Korean intelligence says

(Image credit: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

published 29 October 2021

Sorry, conspiracy theorists — that really is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un making public appearances, not a body double.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service gave lawmakers a private briefing on Thursday about the secretive leader, and said it appears that over the last two years, he's dropped about 44 pounds. While he does have some medical conditions, they are not serious, intelligence found. His weight loss is what prompted some members of the public to speculate that Kim is sick and a body double is being used to trick the masses, but intelligence said that's just not true.

Rep. Kim Byung-Kee told reporters after the briefing that a variety of scientific methods were used to assess Kim from afar, including "super-resolution video analysis and a stereometry analysis model that gauges facial fat and weight," ABC News reports. Kim has been in the spotlight more this year, making 70 appearances in North Korean state media so far. Byung-Kee said it seems the leader is "working on building a people-friendly image by releasing photos of him drinking beer and smoking together with high-level officials."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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