Kim Jong Il death: Twitter reacts


North Korea is something of an enigma. The outside world has little access to the daily workings of the country, internet connections are few, and reserved for the ruling elite. Despite this Kim Jong Il, the country’s long-time ruler was one of the most recognisable figures in international politics. It isn’t all that surprising, therefore, that his death became a trending topic on Twitter.

A number of those tweeting about the dictator’s death were simply sharing the news:

Others noted his obsession with basketball:

Another speculated on what might happen to the “Kim Jong Il looking at things” tumblr blog:

One frequently shared article concerned 10 of the “most insane delusions of Kim Jong Il” and covers everything from his belief that his birth was divine, to the fact that he imprisoned the relatives of convicts, owing to his conviction that “the stain of criminality” persists for three generations:

Some saw the North Korean leader’s death as an opportunity to dole out a little dark humour:

A slew of puns around the “Il” part of Kim Jong Il’s name also emerged:

The Huffington Post, meanwhile, tweeted out its list of the best impressions of the North Korean dictator on film and television (Yes Team America is right up there):

More serious users compared the legacy of Czech leader Vaclav Havel — who helped peacefully bring his country out of communist rule — with that of his North Korean Counterpart. Havel died one day after Kim Jong Il, although his death was made public to the world first:

Image: kjd

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