[Opinion] Kim Jong Il’s Double

A stunt man is a man whose job is to do dangerous things, either for publicity, or in a film instead of an actor so that the actor does not risk being injured. The first stunt man in the world film history was Frank Hanaway from the U.S. cavalry. He stunted by falling from a horse in a movie called, ‘The First Great Train Robbery,’ a twelve minute-long short film produced in 1903.

In the hit movie King’s Boy, Gwon Won-tae, a professional tightroper, was walking a tightrope as a stuntman for the main character Jangsaeng in a scene where he avoids an arrow shot by Yeonsan. Yet, a stunt man is not a movie star-dominated figure.

Kim Jong Il is reportedly using two substitutes who are dead ringers of Kim. He picks up his own surrogate Kim, who is the same age, same height and same appearance as those of Kim to send them to official events instead such as visiting military bases and collective farms after hard discipline. The communist leader is 64 years old, 165cm in height and weighs 85kg. Because it was so hard to find resembling persons that Kim ordered them take a plastic operation. His surrogates are said to be so identical that Kim’s aides are fooled sometimes.

In Japan, Kim Jong Il is, believe it or not, rumored to be seriously ill and to live in seclusion, so the acting Kims substitute his political activities. Moreover, there is even a plausible story. The rumor has it that when a Japanese man close to Kim was invited by the Pyongyang authorities and made a visit to Pyongyang, ‘Kim Jong-Il’ failed to recognize his close friend. Some argue that although the real Kim is very shy and introverted, the suspected Kim was extroverted and talkative, which constitutes more evidence for the surrogate claim.

Presumably, if the rumor is true, it is to avert assassination attempts or due to his health problems. Considering some 638 assassination attempts are known to have been aimed at Fidel Castro since he took power in 1959, he is also said to have used a surrogate Castro. The rumor sounds real in that Kim also wants “bullet bait.” On the other hand, his heart problems and diabetes give more conviction to the health claim. With this and that, North Korea is veiled, and so is Kim.

Lee Jin-nyong, Editorial Writer, jinnyong@donga.com