Bae Eun-sik
Encyclopedia
Bae Eun-sik is a resident of Incheon
, South Korea
who has acted as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
in movies, television shows, and commercials.
Bae's career began in 2000 when he won a Kim look-alike
contest in Seoul
. "When inter-Korean relations flourished after the 2000 summit, I was swamped with proposals to appear in movies, ads, television talk shows and media interviews. But when the ties frayed, I was forgotten and had a hard life," said Bae in The Korea Times
.
A fellow Kim impersonator, Kim Young-sik
, called himself a "rising star" in contrast to the "falling star" of Bae. "I am a real celebrity. I've just heard there is another man who claims he resembles Kim Jong-il the most, but I don't think so." said Bae, in a reference to Kim Young-sik. Bae takes his job seriously, adjusting his appearance to match that of the chairman. "When I recently saw a newspaper picture of the leader, who apparently has lost a considerable amount of hair and whose face looked rather pale, I felt sorry for him. If he loses his weight, I also have to go on a diet."
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
who has acted as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
in movies, television shows, and commercials.
Bae's career began in 2000 when he won a Kim look-alike
Look-alike
A look-alike is a person who closely resembles another person. In popular Western culture, a look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or member of royalty. Many look-alikes earn a living by making guest appearances at public events or performing on...
contest in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. "When inter-Korean relations flourished after the 2000 summit, I was swamped with proposals to appear in movies, ads, television talk shows and media interviews. But when the ties frayed, I was forgotten and had a hard life," said Bae in The Korea Times
The Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
.
A fellow Kim impersonator, Kim Young-sik
Kim Young-sik
Kim Young-sik is a Seoul engraver of Oriental seals who impersonates North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Ever since his sister-in-law teased the businessman's sagging form as a likeness to the chairman, Kim Young-sik has portrayed Kim Jong-il at every opportunity, in movies, television shows,...
, called himself a "rising star" in contrast to the "falling star" of Bae. "I am a real celebrity. I've just heard there is another man who claims he resembles Kim Jong-il the most, but I don't think so." said Bae, in a reference to Kim Young-sik. Bae takes his job seriously, adjusting his appearance to match that of the chairman. "When I recently saw a newspaper picture of the leader, who apparently has lost a considerable amount of hair and whose face looked rather pale, I felt sorry for him. If he loses his weight, I also have to go on a diet."
External links
- The Korea Times interview May 9, 2006