From a breaking Reuters news report: Kim Jong Il, according to North Korean news, has died. There will be plenty of websites talking about the life and times of the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the state of North Korea, a country known for its self-reliance called juche. There will probably be a segment on the “diplomatic theatrics” of his meeting with Bill Clinton for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Kim.
But here at 8asians – and, let’s face it, most Americans under the age of 40 – he was seen as a person so out of touch with western society that he was the endless source of mockery, from being the subject of eHarmony parody videos and weird rap videos to bad Halloween costumes and having a cameo on 30 Rock, albeit played by Margaret Cho.
He’ll be missed by millions upon millions of North Koreans who will be sent to labor camps if they don’t miss him properly.
(Flickr photo credit: John Pavelka)
