Netizens are convinced Kim Jong-un is using a body double

North Korean state media released visuals of Kim Jong-un inaugurating a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang last week.

It was the leader's first public appearance after about 20 days. Kim Jong-un was also uncharacteristically absent from the birth anniversary celebrations of his late grandfather Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea.

Visuals of the leader at the ceremony briefly allayed rumors about his death.

Human rights activist Jennifer Zeng was the first to notice dissimilarities between Kim Jong-un's recent and older photos.

She tweeted, "Is the Kim Jong-un appearing on May 1 the real one? 4 things to watch: 1. Teeth 2. Ears 3. Hair 4. Sister."

In another tweet, she shared more photos, including one that pointed out a new mark on the leader's wrist.

Soon, Jennifer's conspiracy theory started catching on as many found the body double theory believable.

The theory is underpinned by rare video footage, acquired by The Sun, showing the leader chatting with two lookalikes in 2017.

According to IB Times, it is a "well-known fact" that Kim Jong-un uses body doubles and travels with them to ward off assassination attempts.