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China-Japan-Koreas
Sonny Boy's Humorous Blunder
2011-02-22
SEOUL, Feb. 21 -- Goof or genius?
Goof. Of Qadaffi proportions.
Last week, North Korea's official television station aired footage of leader Kim Jong-il's past military inspections, during which his third son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-un, was seen watching a tank drill while apparently holding a pair of binoculars upside down.
Pic at the link. Yup, they're upside down.
The scene, belatedly discovered by South Korean journalists on Monday, was considered a rare blunder by North Korea's official media that spares no austerity in praising the ruling dynasty. It also contrasted with the intensifying cult of personality surrounding the 20-something man that the communist regime unveiled to the world as a four-star general in September last year.

Many South Korean Internet users appeared to be ready to disagree that Kim Jong-un could be so gifted as a military commander, as they looked at the footage of him holding binoculars.

"What a hilarious guy!" Woo Chang-wook said on Nate, referring to Kim. "You're making me laugh big-time!"

"The dark future of North Korea seems to be contained in those binoculars," Im Hyun-ju said on the same major portal site, calling Kim "dimwitted."

A brief bout of controversy even erupted on the Internet, with some users siding with Kim and saying that the binoculars were held rightly, an indication of the growing public scrutiny surrounding the young man anointed as successor to the nuclear-armed North.

The footage that showed Kim Jong-un holding binoculars was aired on Feb. 16, the 69th birthday of Kim Jong-il.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  "Uh, no sir, it's just that, uhh, they're really far away ...."
Posted by: gorb   2011-02-22 23:45  

#5  Good thing he wasn't looking across the DMZ with the binoculars backwards.

"Hey, Dad, those South Koreans are really tiny. We could crush them easily!"
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2011-02-22 20:08  

#4  At least the lens caps were off...
Posted by: Pappy   2011-02-22 13:55  

#3  Couldn't he tell something was wrong when he realized the little figures in the image were all upside down? Or maybe they were new type of binocular with special nose cup for runny nose from eating too much kimche. Or maybe he's a goof AND a genius.

Posted by: Goober Goobelopolous   2011-02-22 09:43  

#2  Who'll dare hold a binocular upside up from now on?

That would be a sign of subversion wouldn't it?

Black is White!
Up is Down!
Posted by: Sneanter Thud4650   2011-02-22 07:58  

#1  Scratch one junior propagandist.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey   2011-02-22 05:45  

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