North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s distinctive trapezoid-shaped hairstyle and face as well as his penchant for overkill provide plenty of fodder for social media users and trolls.
Facebook parody page “Tentera Troll Kebangsaan Malaysia” features comic images and memes of Jong Un dealing with North Korea’s tussle over the body of his estranged half-brother Jong Nam.
Expelled North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol is depicted as making comments about the Malaysian authorities’ investigation into Jong Nam’s death, leading to an image of Prime Minister Najib Razak ordering the envoy to get out of the country.
The envoy is next shown calling his supreme leader on the phone for help in a comical manner. Jong Un, on the other side, replies that North Korea will retaliate by kicking the Malaysian ambassador out.
However, Malaysian envoy to Pyongyang, Mohamad Nizan Mohamad was recalled home on Feb 22, almost two weeks before he was officially expelled.
On March 4, Kang was declared persona non grata in Malaysia and told to leave by March 6 after he made several accusations, claiming Malaysia was colluding with outside powers to defame his country.
Tentera Troll Kebangsaan Malaysia also posted a picture of Jong Un edited to look like a woman with make-up.
Facebook users who commented that the picture should be removed lest it incur the wrath of the North Korean leader and cause him to launch a nuclear attack on Malaysia were told by the page admin not to be stupid.
“There are already many memes and trolls on Kim Jong Un out there,” the admin wrote.
On Twitter, parody pages @RealKimJong_Un and @DPRK_News had a field day lampooning the North Korean leader and his reaction to the killing of Jong Nam.
@RealKimJong_Un tweeted Jong Un’s “hit list” with his half-brother topping the list: “The List: Kim Jong Nam The other Korea A few ministers in my cabinet @JamesFrancoTV @Sethrogen @HillaryClinton California 1 down.”
The day after Jong Nam was killed, fake news site @DPRK_News announced to its 168,000 followers that Jong Nam died of “indigestion”.
“Indigestion epidemic in Malaysia claims life of esteemed Kim Jong-Nam. Unsanitary food practices of filthy Malaysian peoples is blamed.”
On March 3, it tweeted that Pyongyang had barred its citizens from going to Malaysia due to “diarrhoea”.
“Travel advisory issued for DPRK citizens traveling to Malaysia, due to cuisine causing cataclysmic diarrhea, among other effects.”
North Korea has barred 11 Malaysians in the communist country from leaving until Jong Nam’s death is “settled”. Later, it allowed two of them working for the United Nations to leave. The remaining nine stranded comprise three Malaysian embassy staff and their family members based in Pyongyang.
Malaysia has reciprocated by stopping North Koreans here from exiting the country in a bid to ensure the safety of its citizens in North Korea.